Night Must Fall
by JediMara77
Summary: The Empire is on the offensive as the Rebel Alliance continues the struggle to bring freedom to the galaxy. When sacrifices must be made, will the Rebels lose all that they fight for? Sequel to Alliance of Heroes; Part Two of a trilogy. L/M, H/L.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Night Must Fall  
><strong>Author:<strong> JediMara77  
><strong>Timeframe:<strong> 2-3 ABY  
><strong>Characters:<strong> L/M, H/L, Darth Vader, Yoda, Rogues  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Action, Romance  
><strong>Summary:<strong> The Empire is on the offensive as the Rebel Alliance continues the struggle to bring freedom to the galaxy. When sacrifices must be made, will the Rebels lose all that they fight for?  
><strong>AN:** Sequel to _Alliance of Heroes_. This is **Part Two** of a trilogy.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Don't own anything, although I wish I owned Jedi-in-Training!Luke.

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**Dramatis Personae**

With the Rebel Alliance:  
>C-3PO - protocol droid<br>Captain Wedge Antilles - Rogue Three  
>Chewbacca - co-pilot, <em>Millennium Falcon<em>  
>Commander Arhul Narra - Renegade Leader<br>Commander Luke Skywalker - Rogue Leader  
>Flight Officer Avy Valla - Rogue Twelve<br>Flight Officer Dack Ralter - Rogue Six  
>Flight Officer Kasan Moor - Rogue Seven<br>Flight Officer Kit Valent - Rogue Eleven  
>General Airen Cracken - Director of Intelligence<br>General Carlist Rieekan - Minister of War  
>General Crix Madine - Director of Special Forces Command<br>Han Solo - captain, _Millennium Falcon_  
>Lieutenant Hobbie Klivian - Rogue Four<br>Lieutenant Mara Jade - Intelligence agent, Rogue Ten  
>Lieutenant Rade Ticarus - Rogue Eight<br>Lieutenant Tycho Celchu - Rogue Nine  
>Lieutenant Wes Janson - Rogue Five<br>Lieutenant Zev Senesca - Rogue Two  
>Mon Mothma - Commander in Chief<br>Princess Leia Organa - High Councilor  
>R2-D2 - astromech droid<br>Red - astromech droid  
>Winter Retrac - Intelligence agent<p>

With the Empire:  
>Admiral Firmus Piett - Death Squadon commander<br>Captain Lorth Needa - captain, _Avenger_  
>Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith<br>General Maximilian Veers - Death Squadron ground forces commander  
>Palpatine - Emperor<p>

Others:  
>Lando Calrissian - Baron Administrator, Cloud City<br>Prince Xizor - leader of the Black Sun  
>Yoda - Jedi Master<p>

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_**When you look at the Dark Side, careful you must be...for the Dark Side looks back. - Master Yoda**_

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CHAPTER 1

Hoth was cold—extremely cold. The snow whipped around his slight body and stung the small patch of exposed skin on his face. He brought his hand to his scarf and tried to tighten it, but it didn't matter—whenever he was out on patrol, he thought he would never be warm again. Even after six months on this Force-forsaken planet, he only felt vaguely warm while in a hot sanisteam, which according to base regulations could only last one minute. The rest of the time he was either freezing, close to freezing, or only slightly cold.

Luke Skywalker keyed on his comlink and tried to raise his voice over the howling wind. "Echo Three to Echo Seven. Han, old buddy, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, kid," Han Solo's voice came in over the comlink.

"I haven't picked up any life readings. What about you?"

"Nah, I keep telling Rieekan that these patrols are pointless. There isn't enough life on this ice bucket to fill a space cruiser."

Luke chuckled. Han had been on his case for the past six months—ever since their arrival on Hoth—as to why the Rogues had to suggest such a barren wasteland of a planet as the Alliance's new base. And of course Command had agreed with the suggestion. After all, not even Vader would want to chase the Alliance to an ice planet.

Luke didn't like the patrols either, but they were necessary. If Echo Base was to be protected from Imperial assault, they had to be vigilant and make sure there weren't any probe droids lumbering around the base. Not only that, but some of the patrols had indicated the presence of monstrous creatures, and if Echo Base was going to expand in the near future, they needed to be aware of any and all life forms on the planet.

But for now, there was nothing to be found. "Right. I've hit all my markers. Why don't we head back to base?"

"Sure, kid. I won't argue with that. Echo Seven out."

Luke readjusted his scarf and grasped his tauntaun's reins, then guided the creature in a circle and started the trek back to base. He wished he could just fly back, but they'd been having problems with the speeders since Day One and General Rieekan, the leader of Echo Base, didn't trust the patrollers to go out in them. So instead they were forced to use tauntauns, one of the only creatures that could withstand the cold weather on the planet.

They were also one of the slowest methods of transportation, and Luke suppressed a sigh as he lumbered back to base. But his frown soon turned into a smile as his mind turned to nicer thoughts, like Mara Jade. It had been a year since they became a couple—since their first real kiss, outside her quarters on _Home One_. They'd spent all their free time together since that moment, which was not nearly enough time in Luke's opinion. The Rogues were still flying across the galaxy on supply runs and escort missions. Mara flew with the Rogues on some occasions, but most of the time she was off on some crazy mission for Cracken or Madine. They seemed to love sending her to far-flung planets on dangerous missions that made Luke's skin crawl. He knew Mara could take care of herself, of course, but it didn't matter. He always preferred when she flew with him, where he could keep his eye on her.

Not that he would ever let her in on that fact, of course. If she knew what he was thinking, she'd probably beat him up. Luke shivered even more just thinking about it.

But tonight…tonight was going to be different. Tonight there would be no talk of missions, or death, or defeating the Empire, or anything else of that matter. Today was their first anniversary, and he was going to show her just how much he cared for her.

He'd planned a special evening, and it was going to be perfect. One of the cooks was preparing the dinner he'd gathered on the last supply run; he'd borrowed a holovid for them to watch afterwards; and he'd even bought Mara a gift—one that, thanks to some assistance from Winter Retrac, he knew she'd adore.

A gust of wind nearly blew him off his tauntaun. "Whoa," he cried, pulling tighter on the reins and righting himself. He shook his head and urged the creature to move faster. "C'mon, let's go."

Han and Luke rendezvoused about a kilometer from base and rode into the South Entrance together. As soon as he crossed the threshold Luke pushed back his hood and brushed off the snow that had accumulated on his head. He didn't think he would ever get used to being so cold. He'd lived nineteen years boiling under Tatooine's twin suns, and now he couldn't ever get warm. The irony wasn't lost on him.

"So, kid, you were in a bit of a hurry to get back," Han teased. "You're usually always up for a few more loops around the markers, just to get on Rieekan's good side. What's the matter—you got a hot date tonight?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Luke protested.

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say, kid."

"Fine," Luke huffed. He jumped off his tauntaun and handed the reins to the attending deck officer. "Does everyone in this base know about my date tonight?"

The deck officer glanced up. "You mean your anniversary date with Lieutenant Jade?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yes, Ensign Connors. That's the one."

"Oh yes, Commander Skywalker, everyone knows." Connors leaned in and winked. "Good luck!"

"Thanks," Luke said dryly.

Han handed over his tauntaun and grabbed Luke by the shoulder. "Hey, you're the one who made the mistake of telling Wedge about it."

"I needed help setting everything up. He's my XO, who else was I supposed to ask?"

"You could've asked me. I'd've kept it quiet."

Luke snorted. "Yeah, right."

Han laughed. "You know me too well, kid. So, tell me," he leaned in conspiratorially, "Jade gonna be staying with you tonight?"

"Han—"

"I know, I know, you don't like to talk about it, but c'mon—man to man."

Luke sighed. Han was well-meaning, but he could be relentless. "I'm gonna ask her," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know if she'll want to."

"Wait a minute." Han pulled Luke off to the side of the hangar. "Are you saying you two haven't…you know—?"

"No," Luke said emphatically, glancing around at the officers milling around the hangar, hoping that Han would take the hint and drop it.

He didn't, but at least he had the decency to lower his voice. "Well, why the hell not? You two can't seem to keep your hands off each other."

Luke shrugged. As much as he wanted to explain the entire situation to Han, he couldn't. All he could say was, "She wants to wait."

"She wants to _wait_?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's...it's complicated." That was the understatement of the year. Luke remembered when things between him and Mara had started getting very serious, about six months into their relationship. As they grew closer and spent more and more time together, Luke couldn't help but anticipate when she would finally spend the night in his bed. He would never pressure her into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with (because she would surely punch him if he tried), and he was more than willing to wait for her to decide the time was right.

But then she had surprised him by saying that as much as she cared for him, she just couldn't sleep with him. At first Luke felt like he had been punched in the gut. He knew she'd been with other men before and couldn't understand why she would now want to wait. Was there something wrong with him? But then she had explained everything—that, as the Emperor's Hand, she'd used her body as a tool to gain information. Now, getting so close to Luke, she felt ashamed of the things she had done and didn't want their relationship to be ruined because she had never learned to connect sex and love. His heart had soared upon hearing her use that word, and he told her that he'd wait as long as she needed—that he'd wait for her forever.

"And you're all right with waiting?"

Luke nodded. He was willing to do anything to help her overcome her past for good. Especially since he was the only person she felt comfortable confiding in. "I have to be. I love her, Han."

Han broke into a huge grin. "You do? Well, have you told _her _that?"

"No. I want to, but I…I always chicken out at the last minute." Luke knew that Mara felt the same way about him, but he didn't know how she would react to him using that word. He was afraid she'd freak out and run away.

Han, apparently, had a different opinion. "Ya know, if you told her that you love her, it just might convince her to stay the night. Women like those sorts of things." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Luke smiled and shook his head. "You should take your own advice." Han scowled, but Luke ignored him. "For now…there's no hurry."

"I gotcha, kid." Han turned toward the entrance of the hangar, where two figures had just entered. "Well, speak of the devil!"

Luke followed his gaze and grinned. "Mara!" he shouted.

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"Hey, wait up!" Mara Jade yelled. She picked up her pace and drew alongside Leia Organa. The Princess was walking much faster than her short legs should be able to move and she kept leaving Mara in the dust. Especially after Mara's last comment, which in retrospect wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever said. "Look Leia, you know we have to take the _Falcon_. She's the fastest ship the Alliance has got."

"First of all, the _Falcon _is not an Alliance ship. Second of all, I could never forget her speed. Han reminds me of that fact every single blasted day."

"Maybe he's trying to impress you."

"Oh please, Mara. If that's the case then he's also trying to impress every other woman in the Alliance. Did you see him talking to that twit Stacy the other day? I swear that girl had drool coming out of her mouth!"

"What's the matter, Leia—you jealous?"

"Of course not!"

Mara ignored Leia's protest. "Besides, as soon as you arrived in the hangar he stopped talking to Stacy and immediately ran over to you."

"Yeah, to antagonize me."

"C'mon, Leia. Haven't you heard the old adage? Men only antagonize the women that they like."

"Really? Did you get a lot of Imperial snobs pulling your pigtails when you were a young agent in training?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Leia stopped in her tracks. "Oh gods, Mara. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that—"

"Don't worry about it," Mara replied, waving her hand. "In fact, that never happened, which was how I knew that none of them really liked me."

"Luke never antagonizes you. He dotes on you constantly."

"You're just saying that 'cause you don't see how we act when we're alone," Mara responded, eyes twinkling.

With a resigned sigh, Leia turned and resumed walking down the corridor. "If you say so, Mara."

They entered the hangar that led to the South Entrance. Her belly did a tiny flip when she saw Luke standing there, having just gotten in from patrol with Han. It was one of those moments when she wanted to laugh at herself—if Palpatine could see her now, all aflutter over a man.

Luke immediately turned, and Mara knew that he had sensed her presence, just as she had sensed his. They'd been training together in some of their rare free moments, and their connection in the Force had grown stronger, even if Luke's Force powers weren't as refined as he'd like. But he was getting there—he was now able to call his lightsaber to his hand and could levitate small objects.

"Mara!" Luke called. She hurried toward him, walking as fast as she dared, not wanting to be ridiculed by everyone around them. But Luke apparently didn't care about such things, because he picked her up and spun her around.

"Happy to see me?" she murmured against his lips.

"Well, you always manage to get my blood boiling after a patrol."

Mara rolled her eyes at his overly sappy compliment. "Please." But she resumed the kiss, suddenly not caring at all about the whispers regarding the nature of their relationship.

A throat cleared behind her, bringing her back to reality. Leia stood there, impatiently tapping her foot. "Sorry to break up the lovefest, but we have important matters to attend to."

Luke cringed. "Hey, Leia. Sorry about that."

"Yeah, sorry," Mara muttered.

Leia shook her head and stepped forward. "Hello, Luke. Han, General Cracken wants to see you in his office right away."

The Corellian raised his arms innocently. "Hey, whatever it was, I didn't do it!"

"It's about a mission."

"Oh, great."

"Don't worry Han, they roped me into it, too," Mara reassured him.

Luke pulled away from her. "They did?"

She nodded. "Yup, sorry."

Leia cleared her throat again. "If you don't mind?"

"Sure, why not." Han fell into step beside Leia and shrugged more snow off his jacket. Leia gave him a nasty look as some snow fell on her head and she tried to brush it off. Han either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Hey." Luke placed his finger on Mara's chin and brought her attention back to him. "You're supposed to be fixing the speeders with me right now," he said, mock-pouting.

"I know, but there was a change in plans. You can take it up with Airen Cracken."

"I'd rather take it up with you," he said, tweaking her nose.

"I know," she replied, biting his.

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers again, and she had to remind herself that they were in the hangar, surrounded by techs and pilots, in order to keep from running her fingers down his chest. She didn't care that his jacket and pants were freezing and that she now had snow all over her jumpsuit.

After a few moments, Luke surprised her by pulling away. She was always the one to pull away first. "Don't you need to go with Han and Leia?" he asked, his voice deep and husky.

"Yeah," Mara said apologetically. "And _you_ have to get to the speeders."

"I'd rather be working on you than working on the speeders."

"Luke!" She swatted him playfully, and he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"What?" he said innocently. "It's true."

"Whatever." She kissed him gently on the lips. "Bye."

"Bye," he said in return.

She'd almost left the hangar when she heard him call out to her again. She turned around and he rushed forward. "What is it?" she asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that…that I…" He trailed off, looking awkwardly at the floor.

"What, Luke?"

"I…I'm really looking forward to our date tonight," he said in a rush.

Mara grinned. "Me too, Farmboy." She squeezed his hand, then took off down the hallway to catch up with Leia and Han.

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"Master Luke!" C-3PO exclaimed. "It is so good to see you again. I take it that you had a successful patrol with Captain Solo?"

Luke approached the golden droid, who was standing in between two snowspeeders. "Yes, Threepio. It's good to see you, too."

There was a tweedle from underneath one of the T-47s. Luke bent down and saw R2-D2 hooked up to the ship's computer. "Hey, Artoo," he greeted his astromech. "How's the work on the speeders coming?"

Another loud beep answered him. Luke turned his head and saw R5-D7, Mara's droid, hooked up to the other T-47. "Hey, Red. You guys keeping each other company?"

He was answered by two very loud, very negative beeps. "I do say, Master Luke, that Artoo and Red do not seem to get along very well. Their antagonizing nature is really getting to my circuits."

Both astromechs took offense at that statement and began beeping incessantly. "Hey, hold up!" Luke cried. "Threepio, what's going on?"

The protocol droid raised his arms in an approximation of a shrug. "I told you, Master Luke. The droids do not get along. They seem to be angry about your relationship with Miss Jade."

"Threepio, you three are droids. It's impossible for you to dislike each other. But whatever, it doesn't matter. Do you know where Wedge went, Threepio?"

"Oh, Captain Antilles left the hangar to procure another cup of caf."

"Hey boss!"

Luke turned around and grinned at his XO, approaching with two cups in his hand. "Hey! I hope that other cup is for me."

"Of course!"

Luke accepted the cup and gratefully pressed it to his lips. "Oh, that feels good after an afternoon on patrol."

"Yeah? I'd've thought that you already warmed up back at the South Entrance. You know, making out with Mara in front of everyone."

"Ah, you're just jealous."

Wedge grinned. "You're right—I am."

Luke shoved his arm. "C'mon, fill me in—how bad are the speeders?"

"Pretty bad. And the droids won't stop bickering. I swear, it's like the closer you and Mara get, the more those two astromechs hate each other."

"Please, Wedge. Now you're sounding like Threepio."

"All right, then _you_ spend an afternoon working with them."

Luke glanced back to where Artoo and Red were hooked up to the speeders. They were still beeping softly at each other, even though their domes were facing in different directions. Luke suppressed a laugh. "On second thought, I think I might prefer an afternoon on patrol. Now, about these speeders…"

"I don't know why, but they won't just won't seem to take the cold conversion. They seem fine at first, but as soon as we take one out for a spin, they break down after a few kilometers."

Luke groaned. "Well, we'll just have to work harder. We need these speeders. I don't want to have to patrol on tauntauns for the rest of our time here. Let's get back to work."

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"I just do not understand why there is so much animosity between you two droids. Your masters are involved in a personal relationship—one would think that you two would be able to be friends!"

Threepio was walking down one of Echo Base's stark corridors, escorted by Artoo and Red, after having been dismissed by Master Luke, who said that all the bickering was driving him crazy. Of course, Threepio was left to deal with the two unhappy astrodroids.

A loud burst of noise caused Threepio's audio sensors to go into overdrive. "Well, I'll say! That was rather rude, Red!"

Artoo knocked into Threepio's leg from behind. "And that was just as rude! Artoo, what has gotten into you?"

The little droid began tweedling and twittling. Threepio cocked his head. "Artoo, you are imagining things."

There were more beeps and Artoo began rocking back and forth, as he often did when he was anxious or excited. "Well of course Master Luke spends much of his time with Miss Jade. They are involved in a personal relationship, which usually translates to spending copious amounts of time together."

Artoo whirred at him again. "He is not ignoring you, Artoo! I don't understand why you insist on saying so."

This time, it was Red who bumped into Threepio and began tweedling loudly. "Oh my, Red. I expected you to be less imaginative than my counterpart here."

Red whistled mournfully. "Of course Miss Jade still cares for you! She is your mistress." Another whistle. "Well, it is not her fault that she is sent on many dangerous missions and cannot bring you along."

Artoo twirled his dome and beeped proudly. "Artoo, it is not necessary to antagonize the poor astromech for things that are out of his control."

The two astromechs rolled toward each other and began extending all sorts of various appendages. Threepio knew that he had to do something to make them stop before things got out of control. "Oh my! Stop this madness, I say! Stop it right now!"

Instead of going against each other, Artoo and Red coordinated an attack and hit Threepio with their pincers. The golden protocol droid stepped back. "Now, see there? You two _can_ work together after all." The two astromechs whirled their domes to face each other, blew loud raspberries, then rolled off in opposite directions.

It was one of those moments when Threepio wished he could mimic human gestures. If he could, he would have let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, my. Those two droids are going to break my circuits."

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	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you to everyone taking the time to read this fic! I sincerely hope you enjoy it!_

_The first few chapters contain a lot of character development, but we'll move on to the action soon after that. Don't worry! :)_

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CHAPTER 2

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"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," General Cracken stated as everyone took a seat. Han nodded at the general; while Han didn't much care for being sent on crazy missions, Cracken seemed like an all right guy.

"We've got an important mission coming up and think you three will make the best group," General Madine continued. Han held the former Imperial's gaze for a moment. He'd spoken to the general once or twice and had been surprised at Madine's nonchalant acceptance of his former life in the Empire. Madine's dedication to the Alliance made Han wonder if he really was wasting an opportunity by not serving.

Now, Han merely narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? What's goin' on?"

"We've got some supplies to pick up from Ord Mantell. Normally, we'd send a regular team out, but there are some extenuating circumstances that are making us take precautions," Madine explained.

"Yeah?" Mara leaned forward in her chair, all business. "What sort of extenuating circumstances?"

"The supplies are weapons," Cracken answered.

Leia was immediately alert. "Weapons? What kinds?"

"All sorts."

"Who from?"

"We've had a contact on Ord Mantell for awhile now. He came across a shipment, sent over an encrypted message."

"Okay. But why send me? Couldn't Captain Solo and Chewbacca pick up the weapons by themselves?"

Madine and Cracken shared a glance. "They want to meet with you," Madine replied. "Possibly join the Alliance."

Leia nodded. "I see."

"Wait a minute—is this a good idea?" Han demanded. He had not forgotten the near-disastrous mission to the Shelsha sector one year prior. Since then, Leia had gone on a few missions but was usually stationed at Echo Base, helping Rieekan lead operations. Han much preferred it that way, where she was safe.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Leia snapped at him. "I'm perfectly capable of performing such a mission."

"Ord Mantell can be a nasty place," Mara interjected. "We wouldn't happen to be meeting in one of the less populated areas, would we?"

Cracken shook his head. "The meeting will take place in Worlport."

Han groaned. Worlport was the capital city and no place at all for Alderaanian princesses. He opened his mouth to protest but a sharp glare from Leia made him keep his mouth shut.

Cracken continued, "We hope you don't mind, Captain Solo. We thought that, with your history, you would be best to send on the mission."

Yeah, Han knew what they were getting at—with his smuggling past, he'd be best to navigate Leia through Ord Mantell. He didn't blame them one bit for the assumption, and despite all his protests to Leia about these missions, he didn't mind doing his share to help out—as long as he didn't have to formally join the Alliance.

But he could only imagine the look of disdain on her face right now as she was reminded that Han was, in her words, a scoundrel.

"It's settled, then," Madine announced. "You'll be heading out in one week's time. Information will be sent to your datapads. Good luck."

Han stood up, shook the generals' hands, and waited for Leia to reach the door. He politely gestured for her to go ahead. She gave him an odd look, then left.

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Mara made to leave as well, but Cracken asked her to stay and speak with them privately. She nodded and sat back down, sensing that there was something more to this mission.

"You're probably wondering why we're sending you on this mission, lieutenant," Madine started.

Mara nodded. Winter Retrac usually accompanied Leia anytime an intelligence agent was needed on one of her missions. And, judging from the mission summary, she didn't understand why an intelligence agent was needed at all. Yes, it would be dangerous, but Leia would be well-protected on the ground by Han and Chewbacca. Mara's skills would be far more useful at Echo Base, where she could help get the speeders working.

"We've gotten some disturbing intel reports from that region of the sector."

"What kind of reports?"

Cracken leaned forward. "The reports mention an 'Emperor's Hand' working in the system."

Mara glanced back and forth between the two generals, panic beginning to rise inside her. "But that's impossible, sirs. I haven't been anywhere near that system."

"We know, lieutenant," Madine said reassuringly. "Don't worry. We're not accusing you of anything."

"Then why mention the reports to me?"

"We hoped that you could provide some information on the other Hands, and that you could perform some reconnaissance work while on Ord Mantell."

Mara continued to glance back and forth between them, utterly confused…and then she got it.

_Other_ Hands.

She hadn't been the only one.

It was all she could do to keep her focus on Cracken's office and the meeting. Her mouth turned dry and she had to swallow several times before she was able to speak. "I—I'm sorry, sirs. I was unaware of the existence of any other Hands."

"You believed you were the only one?" Madine asked.

"That's what he told me," she whispered. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep tears from falling down her face.

"I see. I apologize for being the one to have to break the news to you."

Mara met Madine's gaze with hard eyes. "No. It's quite all right. Do you have any information about this Hand that I can read up on?"

Cracken passed her a datachip. "This is all the information we have right now. If you could read through it before the mission—"

"I will. Is that all, sirs?" Normally Mara would never be so rude to Alliance leadership, but she had to get out of there _now _before she screamed.

"Yes. Thank you lieutenant."

Mara stood up, saluted, and practically ran out of Cracken's office. She hurried down the hallway as fast as possible, wanting nothing more than to get to her quarters and shut out the rest of the galaxy.

Her plans were thwarted when she literally ran into her boyfriend. Her datapad fell out of her hands and he grasped her arms to steady them as they fell to the floor. "Oh!" Mara gasped as they hit the cold, hard surface.

"Stang, Mara, trying to kill me?" Luke joked. He extended his hand to help her up but Mara was already on her feet, ready to rush down the hallway again. "Hey, wait!" Luke protested. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him before she could get away. She shoved his hand away violently and he stepped back with a questioning look. "Mara, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, but Luke shook his head at her.

"Mara, you look a mess. What's going on?"

She straightened up and put up all her mental shields. "I'm fine. Shouldn't you be with the speeders?"

"I took a break to go find Zev, and stop trying to change the subject." Luke pulled her off to the side of the hallway, out of the way of passersby. Again she shrugged out of his grip but no longer tried to run away. "Block me all you want, Mara, but I know you. Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Skywalker. Just leave it be."

"Well now I know for sure that something's wrong, 'cause you called me Skywalker."

"Luke—"

"Mara."

She shook her head incredulously. "You never give up, do you?"

Luke grinned. "Nope. C'mon, tell me what's wrong."

She glanced at her feet and shook her head again. She couldn't tell him about this. It was stupid. Why did she care what Palpatine had done? That part of her life was over. She wouldn't let him get to her, not anymore.

Clenching her jaw, she looked back up at Luke. "Look, I just got some disturbing news, but I'll be okay. I really don't want to talk about it."

Luke tilted his head, but nodded. "Okay. But if you want to talk—"

"I know, I know, you'll be there for me. My hero." Her words were sarcastic, but she smiled, betraying her true feelings. Wanting to leave and straighten out her head, she leaned in and gave Luke a customary kiss on the cheek. "See you later."

"What time should I pick you up?" he called after her.

She turned around. "Pick me up?"

He stepped toward her again. "For our date. You didn't forget, did you?"

"No, of course not—but why would you need to pick me up?"

"Because that's what men do on dates. They pick up their girlfriends."

"Luke, don't be silly, we're just going to your room—"

"What time should I pick you up?" he repeated, staring down at her solemnly.

Mara sighed. "2000. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Whatever my lady wants."

"Oh dear Force," Mara muttered. But she still kissed him good-bye.

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.

Luke hurried down the hallway, on his way to Mara's room. He ran his hand through his hair, suddenly nervous. He couldn't help it—he wanted everything to be perfect. The dinner was set up as it would be in a fancy restaurant, and he'd spent way too much time in front of his closet trying to figure out what to wear. In the end he picked out the exact same outfit he wore to the medal ceremony on Yavin IV—minus the jacket, of course. He just hoped he didn't spill anything on his shirt. He didn't care what Wes said; staining your shirt just so you could take it off in a woman's presence was idiotic. And Mara would figure him out right away and smack him for trying something so dumb.

Finally he arrived and, after a few deep breaths, knocked on the door. He hoped that Mara would be the one to answer and, to his pleasure, she was. He had to remind himself to breathe when he saw her. She was wearing green jumpsuit—a very tight, _very_ fitted green jumpsuit that accentuated every curve on her body. She was wearing make-up and her hair was curled, framing her face…he'd never seen anything like it.

"Close your mouth; it's not polite to stare," Mara teased. Luke blushed, realizing that his mouth was hanging open, but he stepped forward and took her into his arms anyway. Mara smiled at him and kissed him tenderly.

"You…look amazing," he finally stammered.

She blushed at his compliment, and it was one of the few times he could remember her doing so. "I was gonna wear a dress, but—"

"You'd freeze to death if you did so," he finished for her. "Doesn't matter—you look beautiful."

"Thanks. You look pretty hot yourself."

Now Luke blushed. "Thanks. You ready?"

"Sure." She picked up a small bag and shut the door behind her.

Luke put his arm around her as they walked back to his room, and she melted into him. "You seem like you're feeling better."

She stiffened for just a moment. "I told you I was fine," she said, putting some emphasis into her voice to get him to drop it. He decided that now was not the time to press the issue, so he complied.

They didn't speak again until they got inside Luke's room. Mara gasped lightly when she saw the table set up with food. Luke had gathered the ingredients while on a recent supply run and they'd cost a pretty credit, but he didn't mind. "Wow, Luke. This is quite the spread."

"Really?" he said, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

"You shouldn't have gone through all the trouble. This had to cost a fortune."

"Don't worry about it," he said softly. "It was worth it."

"Still, commanders can't make _that _much more than lieutenants, and if they do then I really need to ask for a promotion."

"I told you, don't worry about it. I wanted to do something nice for our anniversary, to make up for all the other nights just bumming around the pilots' lounge."

"You know I don't mind that—and judging by how many credits I earn in that lounge, I should've been the one to pay for all this food."

"Shove it, Jade, and sit down and eat."

She complied and gave him an impish look. "Oooh. So demanding."

"Yup. Got a problem with that?"

"Absolutely not." She leaned in and kissed him. He returned the kiss eagerly, and he couldn't help himself—he pulled her to him so that she was sitting sideways on his lap. Her hands snaked around his neck and started playing with the bottom of his hair, something that drove him crazy. He groaned and was very tempted to say screw the dinner and just keep kissing her until they had to start work the next morning.

But after a few moments Mara broke away, pulling at his bottom lip as she did so. "We should eat before the food gets cold," she whispered.

"Why?" he replied dopily. She rolled her eyes and slid off his lap, taking her seat at the makeshift table.

She squeezed his hand, bringing him back to life. "This looks delicious."

"Oh. Oh, right. Um, would you like something to drink?"

"Sure."

Luke knelt underneath his bunk and pulled out his bottle of Whyren's. He poured Mara a generous glass and then, after a pause, poured one for him, too. Mara looked at him with widened eyes. "You're drinking?"

"Why not? It's a special occasion."

"But you never drink."

Luke shrugged. "There's a first time for everything." Then he immediately looked away, kicking himself for the innuendo. He felt a flash of _something _from Mara through the Force, but couldn't place it. He coughed, and they ate in silence for awhile, Mara piping in every so often to comment on how good the food was.

When they finished eating, Mara suggested that they exchange gifts. Luke agreed and hurried to his bedside table, where he'd placed her present. He sat down and patted the bunk next to him. Mara jumped onto the bed, bouncing as she settled down cross-legged.

"You didn't have to get me anything else," she admonished. "The dinner was enough."

Luke raised an eyebrow and she lifted a hand in supplication, abandoning her protests. She tore off the wrapping slowly and gasped when she saw her gift. It was a very small box made of fijisi wood, the kind Mara once mentioned had adorned her quarters in the Imperial Palace. "Oh, Luke…this…you…you _remembered_." Tears welled up in her eyes and he brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"You like it?"

"I _love _it. How…where did you find this?" she asked, examining the box and opening it to find that it contained a mirror inside.

"Our mission to Cardooine a few months back. Winter told me I could find some fijisi wood there."

"You…" She trailed off, unable to speak as she ran her fingers over the smooth, elegantly-pattered wood. "This is too much."

"You deserve it."

"Oh, Luke…" She could say no more and she lunged at him, catching him off guard as she pressed her lips firmly against his. He grabbed her by the waist and ran one hand up and down her back as they kissed passionately. Mara's hair curtained around his face and she clutched his back tightly, still holding the box.

Luke was beginning to hope that maybe Mara had finally changed her mind when she pulled back, gasping for air. "I should give you your present now..."

"What, this isn't it?" he murmured against her lips.

"Shush," she admonished him. He kissed her neck and she moaned. "Seriously, Luke...your present..."

"Okay," he relented, sitting up with her on the bunk. She went to get her bag but he put out his arm, keeping her from standing up. "Wait." He closed his eyes and reached out his hand. He imagined Mara's bag on the table and pictured it floating toward him in his mind. He felt the tendrils of the Force stretching between himself and the bag, and opened himself to the energy field even more. This was still difficult for him, but after a few moments he felt his hand close around the bag and he opened his eyes.

Mara was smiling softly at him as he handed it to her. "Show off." She rummaged through and pulled out a datachip. "Here. It's a hologame chip. It contains hundreds of hologames, and a bunch of really good fighter simulator games. I figured they would keep you busy while on long hyperspace flights in your X-wing."

"This is great, Mara! I've been wanting one of these!"

"You really like it?"

"Of course!"

"It's not as meaningful as your gift…"

"This is _great_, Mara. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She took a deep breath and rummaged through the bag again. "Here," she said, placing another chip in his hand. "There's something else."

"What is it?"

"Put it in your datapad."

"Why, what is it?"

"Just do it."

Luke nodded and grabbed the datapad on his bedside table. He placed the chip inside and he narrowed his eyes in confusion when he saw the hologram that popped up.

"It's a ballroom in the Imperial Palace," she explained, voice wavering slightly. It was the most ornate room Luke had ever seen in his life. He nearly shuddered as the camera lingered on Emperor Palpatine, seated on his throne. Then the view shifted to what the Emperor was watching—a group of dancers. They stood in formation and then began moving in time to a melodic, sophisticated beat.

Luke's mouth dropped open when he recognized Mara. She was wearing a fitted bodysuit, adorned with beads and crystals and shimmering fabric flowing from the waist and sleeves. As she turned, the shimmersilk soared around her body like wings. Her hair was curled into elaborate ringlets and braids and piled high upon her head. Her make-up was the heaviest Luke had ever seen and her skin seemed to shimmer under the ballroom lights.

Luke knew that he was gaping again, but he didn't care.

"This was during Empire Day celebrations a few years ago, right before Alderaan. He wanted me to dance so I would gain the attention of a few marks I needed to talk to afterward. But I didn't care. I loved to dance."

"I can tell…"

Mara placed her hand over his. "Well, you've been wanting to see it…so here you are. It's yours."

Luke turned to her, incredulous. He admitted to her a while ago that he'd been searching the HoloNet, trying to find any images of her in the Imperial Palace. He especially wanted to find holos of her dancing. She never claimed that his interest bothered her, but she also never offered to help with his searches. He knew that her past wasn't something she liked to talk about. For her to give him this holo…

"This means so much to me, Mara. You have no idea."

"I still don't know why you wanted to see it so badly. I mean…the things I did back then…"

"I wanted to see it because it's _you_. Whatever you did back then made you who you are today. And I…I…" He looked deep into her eyes, and dammit, he still couldn't say it. "I care for you deeply, Mara."

She smiled half-heartedly.

"Besides," he continued, "any man would be foolish to not want to see their girlfriend do _that_." He pointed to the hologram just as she finished an elaborate move that ended with her in an almost complete backbend, breasts pointed straight in the air.

He expected her to laugh at his joke, but she didn't. She was looking away, sullen, the same air about her that she'd had in the hallway earlier that day. Luke knew that now was the time to press the matter. He placed the datapad and fijisi wood box on the bedside table and took her hands in his. "Okay. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said automatically.

"Mara. Even without the Force, I would know." At his mention of the Force her expression hardened and he worried that she would deck him, but he persisted. "Please, tell me."

"It's stupid," she muttered.

"Mara, you are many things, but you are _not _stupid."

"Yes I am. I had to be, to believe _him._"

"Who?" Luke immediately went on the offensive. "What are you talking about?"

"Palpatine," she whispered.

It was the last thing he expected to hear. "Huh?"

"See? I told you. It's stupid."

"Wait a minute—why don't we start at the beginning."

She sighed heavily. "Fine, if you insist. I had a meeting with Cracken and Madine earlier, about a mission to Ord Mantell. They said they wanted me to go because Winter was unavailable, but after Han and Leia left they asked me to stay, so I knew there was something else going on. Well, they want me to check up on some Imperial activity in the area."

"Uh-huh." Luke motioned for her to continue. This sort of thing happened all the time. Why was this making her so upset?

"Anyway…the reports mentioned that an Emperor's Hand was in the area."

"But that's impossible. You're here!"

"That's what I said." She paused for a moment, gathering the strength to continue. "It was someone else."

"Another Hand?" She nodded. "But I didn't know there were any others."

"Me neither," she said softly.

"Oh. _Oh,_" he said, finally understanding. "He lied to you, didn't he?"

"Should I be so surprised? I mean, he lied about everything else," she replied, voice turning bitter. "He told me I was the only one. He said I was special, and that nobody else could do what I could. It's what made me 'okay' with never knowing my family. I thought I was doing my sacred duty for the Empire. Needless to say, there were Force knows how many other people doing that exact same duty."

He began stroking her hair, wanting to comfort her. "I'm really sorry, Mara."

"Why?" she snapped. "It's so stupid, Luke! Why should I care what Palpatine did to me? Why should I care that he lied? Of course he lied—that's what he does! But here I am, in the middle of an anniversary date with the best boyfriend in the galaxy and I'm freaking out because the Emperor lied to me. Stars, I'm ruining _everything._" She placed her head in her hands and clenched her fists.

"Hey! Don't say things like that!"

"But it's true, Luke! I'm a horrible person. I've let him ruin our date."

"Our date isn't ruined."

"It might as well be."

"Really?" He grabbed her hands, forcing them to unclench. He scooted next to her until their bodies were touching and started to rub his hand up and down her back. She immediately relaxed under his ministrations. "Last I checked, you're still in my room and this date isn't over yet. And besides, you're my girlfriend. It's my job to make you feel better when you are upset."

"But I shouldn't be upset about it. I shouldn't care."

"But you do. It's part of being human. You think I'd rather have you _not_care?"

Mara sighed. "I guess not."

"Okay. Now," he kissed the top of her head, "should we continue?"

She lifted her head. "Huh?"

Luke reached back to his bedside table. "I got a holovid."

Her eyes perked up a bit. "Something good, I hope. Not a mindless romance."

"Nope, not at all. It's a Wynnsa Starflare holo. You've probably seen it before, but it's all I could get my hands on."

"That sounds great."

Luke grinned and set up the holovid. When he turned back to the bed Mara was sprawled across it, her head on his pillow. He swallowed hard, thinking of how often he'd wanted her in his bed, and sat down in his chair.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Um…sitting down," he replied.

"Here." She reached around and patted the space behind her.

Luke stared at her for a long moment. "You sure?" he asked in a heavy voice.

"I trust you to keep your hands off me during the movie," she responded, smiling sweetly.

He grinned and jumped off the chair, landing on the bunk with a bounce. He settled down next to her just as the holo started playing. Hesitantly, he placed an arm around her and she pushed her back further into his chest.

His mouth turned dry. He was the most impatient man in the galaxy but he had sworn to himself that he would never make any unwanted advances toward the woman he loved. He would _not_ make her uncomfortable no matter how much he wanted her. Still, his young blood boiled in his veins as he felt her sinuous curves underneath his arm. _You really shouldn't trust me to do that, Jade…_

But somehow, he managed to keep his promise—he was a perfect gentleman throughout the movie. He didn't even try to kiss her or anything, knowing that would only make him want more. When the holo was over, he finally had the courage to ask her to stay the night. He didn't care if they did anything or not—the feel of her lying next to him was just too good and he didn't want it to end.

And if she did finally want something to happen…well, he certainly wouldn't complain.

He used the Force to turn off the vid console and leaned over to ask her…and she was sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile at her sleeping face. She looked beautiful, and surprisingly innocent.

With a sigh he pushed himself off the bed, but a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked down. Mara's green eyes were locked on him. "Where are you going?"

"Um…I'll sleep on the floor."

She shook her head. "No. Stay."

"You…are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

"I won't…I won't try anything," he stammered as he lay back down.

"I know," she whispered, sounding very vulnerable, and he suddenly felt the urge to protect her forever. "Just…just hold me."

He gladly complied.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Again, thanks everyone for reading! _**

**_This is the last of what I call the "character development" chapters before we get to actual plot and action. All this is important later on, though, and those of you who like L/M mush should be happy._**

**_If I didn't mention it before, updates will be posted every Monday._**

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CHAPTER 3

The Rogues were assembled in the briefing room, drinking caf and talking about the previous night's activities. Wedge stood in front of them, preparing himself to deliver his first solo briefing. Luke had asked Wedge to take the lead on this one, most likely because Luke would be "recovering" from his date with Mara. Wedge was more than ready for a leadership role; he had been promoted to Captain right after the near-disastrous confrontation with the _Executor _and Starfighter Command was always badgering him to take on his own squadron, but he wouldn't hear of it. He was a Rogue, and he would always be a Rogue.

And as the briefing's head Rogue, Wedge's first order of business was to make sure the other pilots didn't ridicule the CO too badly. However, the chance of that happening was slim to none, especially since Luke and Mara were five minutes late. They were never late. Dack and Wes were now taking bets on how long it would take before Luke or Mara showed up. Avy Valla, Dack's girlfriend, gave him her best annoyed look. "What?" Dack asked innocently.

"Must you do that?" Avy demanded. A blue-skinned Twi'lek, she'd piloted freighters on Ryloth before being captured by the Empire and sold into slavery. Avy's father had trained her in combat, and she'd managed to escape and join the Alliance. Everyone had embraced the young, amiable pilot—and she, for some reason, had taken an immediate liking to Dack.

"Yes," he replied, grinning.

"Now now, Avy, let your boyfriend have his fun," Wes said.

Kasan Moor, who'd taken Tiom Pettis's spot in the squadron after that pilot was reassigned to a new group, rolled her eyes and smacked Wes on the head. A tall, striking woman who rivaled Mara in attitude, Kasan had instantly fit in with the Rogues. Wedge offered her a grin and listened to the pilots' antics for a few more minutes until the door to the briefing room finally slid open, revealing a tired-looking Luke Skywalker.

Nobody said a word as he took a seat at the front of the briefing room. Wedge leaned in to Luke and stage-whispered, "Where's Mara?"

Luke coughed and tried to cover up a very red flush on his cheeks. "She's on her way."

"Is she all right?" Hobbie asked in mock concern.

"She's fine, she just had to…um…"

"She had to _what_, commander?" Kit Valent teased. Tall and blond, Kit was an excellent pilot and the most arrogant man in the Alliance. He had no love for the Empire but, being raised on Coruscant, tended to have old-fashioned attitudes toward females and aliens. "Did she forget to bring a change of clothes to your room?"

"Please don't answer that, Luke," Tycho groaned. "I really don't need to think about Mara that way."

"Well _I _don't mind thinking about Mara that way, so please, continue!" Wes chimed in.

At that moment Mara entered the room. She crossed the room in several long strides and glared at the assembled group. "Anyone have anything cute to say?" There was complete silence. "No? That's what I thought." She took a seat next to Luke and clasped her hand possessively over his.

Wedge stepped behind the podium and cleared his throat. "Now that we're all settled, let's get started. There is only one item on the docket, as I'm sure you're all aware—the speeders."

At the mention of the T-47s, everyone groaned. Wedge, like the rest of the Rogues, had been assisting the techs with the speeders since they'd arrived at Echo Base. They were all more than frustrated with the lack of progress, but the previous day's work had seen a breakthrough.

"You can keep your groans to a minimum," Wedge announced. "We finally have determined the problem, and two speeders should be ready for testing next week."

A loud cheer burst throughout the briefing room. Wedge, too, couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Good work, Rogues—you've been hard at work for several long months and you haven't let it get to you. Luke and I will discuss over the next week which pilots will make the test. Any questions?"

Rade Ticarus raised his hand. Ever since the confrontation with the _Executor _and the revelation of his good friend's deception, Rade had become even more determined in his fight against the Empire. "If the tests are successful, how long will it take to convert the rest of the speeders?"

"That's still uncertain," Wedge replied. "It shouldn't take too long, but probably a week after initial testing is complete."

"And what if the speeders are needed before that time?" Hobbie asked.

Wedge knew what his friend was really asking: _what if the Empire finds us before then? _It was something they were all on edge about. If the Empire attacked Echo Base before the speeders were ready, the base would have no defense against a ground assault. The energy shield would need protecting until everyone had evacuated on transports, and that wasn't possible without the speeders.

Thankfully, Wedge and Luke had just received good news regarding that same issue. "I'm happy to report that Renegade Squadron is currently escorting a supply shipment from Derra IV to Echo Base. Included in the shipment are six brand-new T-47s."

"Six new speeders?" Dack exclaimed.

Wedge nodded. "That means we'll have twelve speeders—a full squadron's worth, plus the twelve gunners."

"That'll be more than enough for us to defend the base," Kit boasted.

"Don't get too cocky," Mara warned, not even bothering to turn around, knowing that Kit was probably rolling his eyes at her. "If Vader finds us, that means Veers will be leading the ground assault, which means AT-ATs."

"And we know how to defend against AT-ATs, thanks to your boyfriend," Kit bit back.

Mara whipped around. "Not if they blast us out the sky first!"

"They won't blast _me_."

"You got a death wish with that pompous attitude of yours?"

"Hey!" Wedge yelled. While he loved hearing Mara tell off Kit, now wasn't the time. "You two can continue this discussion later. Now, if there are no questions or objections, I'll adjourn the briefing." Everyone remained quiet so Wedge dismissed them and the pilots began filing out of the room.

Tycho, Luke, and Mara remained seated. Mara glared at Kit as he sauntered through the door. "He's gonna get himself killed," she muttered.

"I'll talk with him, Mara," Luke assured her. "Don't worry about him."

"It's not him I'm worried about, it's Kasan," Mara retorted. "She's his wingman and she's the one who'll end up hurt for his stupidity."

"I know; I'll talk to him," Luke repeated.

"We both will," Wedge interjected.

Mara looked back and forth between the two pilots, then sighed. "Fine. Are we all on speeder duty now?"

Wedge nodded. "Might as well get started. Oh, and by the way," he added as they left the room, "can you two please tell your astromechs to stop driving us crazy?"

Luke and Mara shared a glance. "Sure, but I don't know if it'll do any good," Mara said. "Artoo's got Luke's attitude."

"And Red's got Mara's sass," Luke retorted.

Tycho clasped a hand on Wedge's shoulder. "And we wonder where their droids get it."

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The pilot's lounge was once again filled with loud noise and laughter, but it was decidedly different from most nights. The only occupants in the lounge were the male Rogues, gathered for their monthly "men's night," with explicit rules that no women were allowed. Tycho couldn't remember when this tradition had been established but was quite certain that Wes and Hobbie had been the culprits.

"So, Luke," Kit said casually as he threw in a stack of sabacc chips into the pot, "how'd things go with Jade last night?"

"Fine," Luke answered. "We had a good time."

"A good time, or a _good _time?"

"A good time," Luke repeated firmly.

"Aw come on, Luke," Wes whined. "We need to live vicariously through you."

"Speak for yourself," Kit said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "I get plenty of action of my own."

"Sure you do," Hobbie muttered. The dour pilot refused to believe that women constantly threw themselves at Kit.

"Luke, ignore them," Zev advised. "Just think about what Mara would do if she found out you spilled your guts to these fools."

Luke shuddered. "You're a good man, Zev. Maybe I should've made you XO."

"Nah, I'd hate all the paperwork."

"Ain't that the truth!" Wedge said, raising his drink.

Everyone laughed and turned their attention back to the game. After a few more bets, Rade emerged the victor of that round. As the cards were shuffled, Dack leaned forward. "So, um…if Luke doesn't want to talk…I will."

"How do _you_ know what happened in his room last night?" Wes demanded.

"He's not talking about that, you idiot," Wedge retorted. "At least, I sure hope he's not."

Dack shook his head. "Nope. I'm talking about me and Avy."

Wes put his arm around Dack's shoulders and grinned. "Oh yeah? You get some action?"

Dack grinned back and leaned forward over the table. "She let me touch her lekku," he whispered.

There were a few coughs as people tried not to laugh. "Um…that's nice?" Hobbie said, clearly not educated about Twi'lek biology.

"It _is _nice," Dack insisted. "It's a very personal thing for Twi'leks. It's a sign of trust and love. Plus…it made her go absolutely crazy. But, um..don't let her know I told you. She'd kill me."

Wes clapped Dack on the shoulder a few times. "You've done well, my young apprentice! Your secret is safe with us."

"This is ridiculous; Dack's the youngest Rogue and he's getting more action than any of us," Hobbie complained.

"Again, speak for yourself," Kit said. "Besides, Lieutenant Celchu has been seen in the company of Agent Retrac a lot lately."

Tycho shook his head. "We're just friends."

"Uh-huh, sure," Wedge said. "Friends who make out, you mean."

"We don't make out!" Tycho insisted. "We've never even kissed."

"Whatever you say," Zev said sagely. Tycho ignored them and threw some chips into the pot. Things just weren't like that with Winter. They were good friends, and that was all. Besides, how could he even think about another woman so soon after Alderaan? His beloved Nyiestra had perished on the planet. Tycho had once pledged to spend his entire life with her. To move on so quickly would be disrespectful.

But none of that mattered because things between him and Winter Retrac were strictly platonic.

"You know what we need?" Wes spoke up. "We need more women."

"Good luck with that," Hobbie replied. "The male to female ratio on this base is way too high."

"Hey, I did my part," Luke pointed out. "I placed three women into Rogue Squadron."

"Yeah, and they're all unavailable," Wes pouted. "It's good for you and Dack, but what about the rest of us?"

"Kasan is single." Everyone chuckled as Luke glanced around the sabacc table, confused. "What? What'd I say?"

"About Kasan being single," Rade answered.

"Well she is, right? And she's attractive. So what's the problem?"

Everyone continued laughing, then Wedge finally took pity on their CO and filled him in. "The problem, Luke, is that Kasan would rather date Avy or Mara than any of us. Trust me, I've tried. We've _all _tried."

Luke's eyes widened. "You mean she's…?" Everyone nodded. "Oh. Well, now certain things make a lot more sense..."

The laughter grew louder and Tycho shook his head in disbelief. He would never understand how the commanding officer of Rogue Squadron had turned out to be the most innocent one of the group.

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Five women were sprawled across Leia's bed and floor, drinking alcoholic beverages and watching a trashy holovid. This was the female counterpart to "men's night," established by Kasan when the men had demanded a night to themselves. Mara had dragged Winter along and Leia had no choice but to attend as they used her large, single quarters as their meeting space.

"I wonder what the boys are talking about," Avy piped up. She was sitting on the bed and braiding Winter's long white hair, a habit which amused the other women to no end. Somewhere the Twi'lek woman had picked up the skill and loved to braid other women's hair.

"What do you _think_ they're talking about?" Kasan retorted, taking a swig of a lomin ale. "Us, most likely."

"You're probably right," Mara said. "In fact, I bet poor Luke is turning a bright shade of pink right now."

"He does get embarrassed very easily," Winter agreed.

"What about you, Mara?" Kasan asked with a wicked grin. "Do _you _embarrass easily?"

"No, but I do have a mean right hook," Mara responded sweetly. She expected questions about her night with Luke and didn't mind telling them about the dinner and gift, but nothing else.

"Aw, come on, Mara," Kasan whined. "Give us the dirty details!"

"I really don't want to hear the dirty details, please," Leia said, shuddering.

"So then you probably don't want to hear about how Mara never came back to our room last night?" Winter asked.

Mara glared at her roommate. "Traitor." Winter merely grinned.

"You stayed in his room?" Avy said excitedly. "Oh, that's so romantic!"

"So, did you make Skywalker a man?" Kasan demanded.

"That's a trick question; he already was," Mara replied.

"Really? And who was the lucky lady to deflower Luke Skywalker?" Kasan slowly turned to Leia, who was doing her best to ignore the conversation.

Realizing what Kasan was implying, Leia gasped, "Ew, no!"

"Why are you so anti-Skywalker, Leia?" Avy asked. "He's so attractive!"

Kasan snickered. "You better not let your boytoy hear that."

"Hey, Dack thinks that Mara's hot, so I'm allowed to say that Commander Skywalker is hot. But Leia, really, you gotta admit that Luke's good-looking!"

"Fine!" Leia exclaimed. "He's good-looking, but I just don't think of him that way. He's like my brother."

"_And _he's not a Corellian smuggler," Kasan said, giggling.

Leia narrowed her eyes. "It's too bad you don't have such proclivities, because you and Lieutenant Janson would have made such a lovely couple."

Kasan grinned. "I know."

Mara silently followed the conversation, hoping that the other women were distracted and wouldn't bother her anymore about Luke. But of course, they never gave up so easily.

"So Mara, what happened?" Avy asked.

Mara shrugged. "We had dinner, exchanged gifts, and watched a holo."

"And...?" Kasan prodded. "What'd you do for the rest of the night?"

"Nothing," Mara huffed.

"_Nothing_?"

Mara's eyes narrowed. This was none of their business, but for some reason she found herself confiding in them. "Yes, nothing. I want to wait, all right."

"Really?" Kasan asked.

"Yes, really! Why is that so hard for people to believe?"

"Well, you two do seem to be rather enamored with each other," Winter pointed out diplomatically.

"I guess everyone sees that you're so completely in love and assumes that you're...you know..." Avy said.

Mara's eyes widened. _In love?_

"Plus," Avy continued, "you know how many women in the Alliance fawn over him. I know if I were dating him, I'd want to make him very happy."

Mara blanched slightly, then immediately composed herself. "Yes, well. I just thought it would be special to wait."

"I think it's a wise decision, Mara," Leia said. "You shouldn't sleep with him just because other women in the Alliance find him attractive. It should be your own decision, for your own reasons."

"You're just saying that 'cause you don't want to hear about Mara having sex with your old crush," Kasan teased.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Mara cleared her throat. "Anyway, I answered your questions, so let's move on to another subject, such as Winter's relationship with Lieutenant Celchu."

Everyone agreed, and now Winter was the one to narrow her eyes at Mara. "Traitor."

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That night, Mara couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning as Avy's words echoed through her mind—that women in the Alliance were fawning over her Jedi hero boyfriend. It was definitely true. She knew that other women wanted him, and it had never bothered her before—in fact, she often teased Luke about it—so why was Avy's comment bothering her so much now?

After several hours of insomnia, the answer finally hit her—with so many other willing women, Mara worried that Luke was going to tire of waiting for her and move on to someone else. After all, the previous night he had given her the best anniversary dinner and the most thoughtful gift, and she had spent the entire time brooding about Palpatine's lies.

Mara wanted to smack herself. How could she be worried that Luke was going to leave her for someone else? This wasn't like her at all. She tried to convince herself that she was just feeling self-conscious because of the revelation that she hadn't been the only Emperor's Hand.

_Yeah, whatever you say, Jade._

Eventually she sighed and threw off her covers. She was never going to get any sleep in her current state of mind, so she decided to go to the gym. But halfway there she stopped and turned in the other direction, heading toward Luke's room. There was more than one way to burn off nervous energy, and the other option would take care of her stupid problem.

Besides, if they were in love, as Avy said, shouldn't Mara _want _to do this?

Mara knocked on Luke's door, trying to be as quiet as possible. After a few seconds Luke appeared at the door, looking more than a little confused. His hair was sticking up in all crazy directions and Mara almost laughed. "Mara? What's wrong? What time is it?" he asked, sounding sleepy and concerned and perfect.

Her eyes ran over his bare chest…and then she jumped into his arms, using the Force to close the door behind her. Luke's eyes widened and then he automatically returned the kiss. He moaned as they tumbled onto the bed with Mara ending up on top, straddling him.

He managed to pull away and peer at her face. "Mara?"

She ignored him and kissed his neck in response. Luke moaned and threaded his fingers in her hair. Mara smiled to herself, proud that she still had the ability to put a man in this state.

But this wasn't just any man. He wasn't a mark she needed information from. This wasn't a mission. This wasn't because she needed a physical release.

This was _Luke_, and gods she didn't want this to be like all the other times…

But she kept kissing him, not wanting to lose him because he was too impatient, or because she wasn't worth it, or because he was sick of being second-best to men in the Empire.

Finally, as Mara started to remove her shirt, Luke pushed her away, panting heavily. "Mara…what's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she purred into his ear.

"Uh…yes," he hissed, rubbing his hands over her and Mara smiled again, knowing that he was losing all strength to protest.

But damn him, he still held her at arm's reach and sat up on the bed. "Something's wrong."

"No there's not! I just want to be with you!" Mara demanded, growing angry that _he_ was now denying _her_! It didn't matter that she wasn't sure about this. It didn't matter that she was just doing this to prove a point. She wanted to be with him, and this was the only way to keep him.

"No, it's not," Luke whispered. Mara gaped at him for a moment, then realized that he had read her thought.

She jumped off the bed and yanked her shirt back on. "Stay out of my head, Skywalker!"

"I'm sorry," Luke said, standing up and holding out his arm to her. "I didn't mean to. But…I can't help it. I can hear you thinking."

"Oh." Mara turned away and cleared her mind of thoughts, just as her old master had taught her. She shivered, knowing that he was the reason things in her life were so complicated, but unable to deny that many of his lessons had been worthwhile.

She just hated that _he _had been the one to give them.

She felt Luke's hand fall on her shoulder and forced herself not to flinch away. "We don't have to do this, Mara. Not until you're ready."

She whipped around, green eyes blazing. "And what if I am ready? I've done this before, you know, plenty of times!"

"Yes...but are you ready to do this with _me_?" he asked quietly.

"You deserve this. I slept with men I didn't care one bit about. I should be able to sleep with you."

"This isn't a contest, Mara. It's not about me. It's about us."

She shook her head. "It's not fair that you to have to wait for me when women all over the Alliance would do anything to be with the big Jedi hero."

"Yeah, I doubt that—"

"Don't _do_ that!" Mara shouted, pointing in his face. "You always do that, and I hate it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Putting yourself down! Acting self-deprecating! I hate it when you do that."

"Would you rather I be like Han, or Kit?"

"There's a happy medium, Luke. You're confident in your ability to fly an X-wing, so why can't you be that confident about women finding you attractive? Or your ability in the Force?"

Luke shrugged. "I…I don't know."

"Well, you should be confident about that stuff," Mara snapped. "Women want you, and I've told you a million times that you're as powerful as Palpatine."

"I know," Luke whispered. "How do you think that makes me feel?"

"It _should_ make you feel like you'll be able to kick his ass when the time comes!"

Luke's eyes flashed, but he kept his voice lowered. "Or, it makes me feel like I could end up exactly like him."

Mara shook her head vigorously. "No. No, you would never be like him."

"How do you know that? Darth Vader was a Jedi once, wasn't he?"

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

"It just is!"

Luke sighed. "Why are we arguing?"

Mara collapsed on his bunk. "I don't know."

He took a seat next to her. They were silent for a long time. Mara didn't know what to think. She had come here with the intention to seduce Luke and stop her worrying, and had wound up picking a fight. She was so confused.

Finally Luke spoke, taking her hand in his. "Why were you throwing yourself at me, Mara?"

"Can't you read my mind?" she snapped, but Luke didn't rise to her bait. She sighed and placed her head in her hands. "Because. You deserve better."

"Better than what?"

"Better than me. Better than the former Emperor's Hand."

Luke shook his head and suppressed a smile. "I'm sorry, but who are you and what have you done with the real Mara Jade?"

"_Excuse_ me?"

"The Mara Jade I know would never think of herself that way. She's too confident and full of herself."

"Maybe it's just an act," she retorted, but she allowed herself a smile. "Come on, Luke. You're the hero of the Rebellion and I'm making you wait. I'm not naïve; I know what this is doing to you."

"Hey, we're on Hoth; at least I don't have to take cold showers."

Mara hit his arm. "Nice. I'm serious."

"I am, too," Luke said, taking her hands again. "Mara, I picked you. I want to date you."

"But—"

"No buts. I want _you_, and nobody else. Got it?"

Mara nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for acting crazy."

"It's okay. Women's night will do that to you."

She smacked his arm. "Shush."

Luke smiled ran his fingers up and down her arm. "I'll wait as long as you need, Mara. Don't ever doubt that. Don't ever doubt _us_."

"I won't," Mara said, trying not to tremble under his touch. She clasped his hand and threaded her fingers with his. "You know, in the meantime there are...other...things we can do...if you want..."

Luke swallowed hard. "_Other _things?" he asked, his voice deep and husky.

Mara nodded. "Yes..."

"Are...are you sure? You don't have—"

Mara leaned forward and kissed him, shutting up all his protests. After a few moments she pulled back and met his gaze, and knew that her eyes reflected the passion she saw shining in his. "I'm sure," she said confidently.

Luke grinned and crushed his lips against hers. He ran his hands down her back as he pulled her down on top of him, and Mara knew that tonight she wouldn't be returning to her room, either.

Holding Luke close, Mara banished all her fears and doubts and allowed herself to feel the truth in his words.

He would wait for her forever, because he loved her.

And she loved him.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Commander Arhul Narra, one of the most decorated starfighter pilots in the Alliance, had been on many missions in his life, and this one was shaping up to be like any other. Renegade Squadron had been sent to Derra IV to escort the freighter _Hopskip_ and several other supply shuttles to Echo Base on Hoth. The convoy contained essential supplies, weapons, and, most importantly, six new desperately-needed T-47 speeders.

The _Hopskip_'s captain, a middle-aged woman from Chandrila, approached Narra as he examined the stabilizer foils on his X-wing. "Commander Narra, refueling should be complete in five minutes. My crew is beginning start-up procedures now. We'll be ready for take-off as soon as fueling is complete."

"Excellent, Captain," Narra replied. "We'll be ready to launch when you are."

"Sir." With a curt bow the captain returned to the _Hopskip._ Narra climbed into his X-wing and pulled on his helmet. His pilots, ready to launch on his word, mimicked his actions until they were all safely inside their cockpits.

Soon the convoy would be safely on its way to Echo Base.

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Darth Vader stood at the front of the _Executor_'s bridge, staring out the viewports at the blackness of space. The bridge officers, having served on Vader's flagship for almost two years now, knew better than to approach the Sith Lord when he was in such a state. He impassively listened to the conversations in the crew pits as the officers discussed upcoming missions and maneuvers, all the while searching nearby space for _something_.

Every day for the past year, Vader had searched for the boy who had slipped through his fingers with the assistance of the treacherous Emperor's Hand. Anger swelled inside of him as he remembered how close he'd been to realizing his plan of turning his son to the Dark Side and finally destroying the Emperor. The rage boiled in his veins and he welcomed it, internalizing the emotion and turning it into power. This was how Darth Vader survived his days, a prisoner in his life-support suit, alone in the galaxy.

There was a cough behind him. "Lord Vader?"

But Vader was never truly alone. On the _Executor _he was surrounded by officers who scrambled to stay in his good graces; in the Imperial Palace he was forced to endure the sycophantic members of Palpatine's court; even in his private chambers, he was haunted by memories of the past. Memories of Padme's expression as he choked her to death. Memories of the power that burst through him the first time he'd touched the Dark Side. Memories of the first time he stepped onto the bridge of a starship as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, and the fear that welled up inside each and every officer who served under his rule.

Memories of the first time he'd called Darth Sidious _Master_.

Vader turned to see Admiral Piett standing behind him, hands clasped behind his back in military fashion. The admiral projected nervousness but betrayed none of it on his face. Vader respected that. Piett had every reason to watch his steps, having witnessed Vader's lethal reprimand of the previous fleet admiral. But Piett refused to be intimidated and consistently proved himself as a competent commanding officer.

Vader set his head to one side. "Yes, admiral?"

"The Emperor commands you to make contact with him."

If Vader could have done so, he would have sighed. He, of course, knew that the Emperor desired to speak with him. Even though he did not have the same type of connection with his master as the former Emperor's Hand, the Force always bristled when the Emperor desired his presence. In the early years, he was quick to respond, eager to show his devotion to his master. He'd grown to hate having to respond to the Emperor's every command, but there was no alternative.

Not yet.

"Very well," Vader rumbled. "The bridge is yours, Admiral Piett."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

Piett clicked his heels as Vader strode past him down the walkway toward his private chambers. Once there, Vader fell on bent knee on the holographic pad, where his image would be transmitted to the Emperor's private rooms in the Imperial Palace. After a few moments, the enlarged visage of his master loomed in front of him.

Vader bowed his head, like a dutiful apprentice. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

The Emperor sneered. "I would like an update on your progress in finding the Rebel base, Lord Vader."

"Yes, master. We have formulated a plan to ambush a Rebel convoy off Derra IV. We will then allow one pilot to escape, and track his movements back to the Rebellion."

"That is a risky plan, Lord Vader. Are you certain it will work?"

"I am certain, master. I have had some…assistance…in formulating this strategy."

Palpatine smiled, still an unnerving gesture even after twenty years. "Ah, yes. I look forward to hearing of your success, Lord Vader. But be aware, when you do find the Rebel base…" His master trailed off, and Vader raised his helmet in curiosity. "Ensure that _my _prizes are not damaged."

The words hung ominously in the air. Vader forced himself to remain calm and impassive. "As you wish, master."

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"Renegade Twelve, go for lift-off."

At the final report, Narra nodded to himself and flicked on the comm. "Renegades, you are all in the green. Go for launch."

The X-wing's repulsorlifts roared to life and the nimble craft rose several feet into the air. Taking control of the spacecraft, Narra gently pulled the stick around until he was in formation with the rest of the squadron. The twelve X-wings surrounded the freighter and the shuttles like an animal guarding its young, and escorted them all the way through Derra IV's atmosphere.

Narra checked his sensors; everything was still in the green. "Jumper, how long until we clear the planet's gravity well?" he asked his astromech.

There was a tweet, and Narra read the response on the data screen: _TWO MINUTES._

"Copy that, Jumper. Ready the coordinates."

The convoy ventured further away from the planet, everything proceeding as planned. In less than a minute now, they'd be on their way to Echo Base. Narra allowed himself a small smile as he clicked on the comm. "Freighter _Hopskip_, this is Renegade Leader. Prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark."

And then, there was chaos.

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In the pilot's ready-room on the Star Destroyer _Avenger_, Lorth Needa stood in front of the commanding officers of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group. The premier pilots of the Empire, they'd been temporarily assigned to the _Avenger _to assist in the ambush of a Rebel convoy.

Needa was a long-time naval officer, having served both the Republic and Imperial fleets. He'd taken the transition to Imperial rule in stride, aware that to not be supportive of the Emperor's New Order would be disastrous, and had received many promotions throughout his career. Needa had recently been transferred to the _Avenger_ and already felt more than comfortable in the position. He was looking forward to the upcoming mission, as it was one more chance to prove his competency to Lord Vader. If Needa succeeded today, perhaps he could arrange a transfer to the _Executor_. Every officer in the fleet desired to serve on Vader's flagship, despite the fact that it came with a possible death mark if mistakes were made.

But Needa would make no mistakes. The three men in front of him—Colonel Derricote, Captain Fel, and Captain Phennir—were the best pilots the Empire had to offer. There was no chance that this mission would fail, not when it had been formulated by Darth Vader himself.

Still, there was no harm in being overly cautious, which was why Needa had assembled the three commanding officers for a short briefing, just to reinforce certain points.

"You are aware, Colonel Derricote, that the plan requires for one pilot to escape unharmed, so we can track his movements through hyperspace?"

Derricote bristled at the question. "Yes, captain. We've been briefed on this matter already several times, once by Lord Vader himself."

Captain Fel's eyes flashed at the mention of Lord Vader, but the young pilot quickly composed himself. Needa gave him a cool look, then drew himself up to his full height. "I understand that, colonel. I just want to ensure that the plans are understood."

"They are, captain. Now, if you don't mind, we have a mission to accomplish."

Needa nodded. "Dismissed." The three pilots saluted, then turned and left the ready room, exiting into the adjacent hangar. Needa watched as they settled into their red-striped TIE fighters and pulled on their helmets.

Checking his chrono, Needa left the hangar. The _Avenger_ would be reverting from hyperspace in less than five minutes. If he hurried, he'd make it to the bridge in time to see the chaos begin.

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There was hardly any time to react as the wide, triangular shape of a Star Destroyer appeared out of nowhere. Narra ordered the Renegades to fall into defensive positions around the _Hopskip_ and the shuttles and escort them safely to hyperspace.

But his plan fell by the wayside when three squadrons of TIE fighters launched from the Destroyer's hangar bays.

Narra swallowed hard, but did not allow himself to feel any fear. It was three-to-one odds—difficult, but not impossible. Plus, the _Hopskip_ and the shuttles had their own weapons. There would be casualties, most likely, but the important thing was to allow the other ships to escape. Echo Base desperately needed those supplies.

But that was not to happen. The thirty-six TIE fighters swarmed over the twelve X-wings in seconds. As one of his lasers tore through an incoming fighter, Narra recognized the distinctive blood-red stripe that marked the enemy ships. His breath left his lungs in a rush; they were facing the 181st, Darth Vader's personal fighter group. The best pilots in the Empire.

And they were laying waste to the Renegades.

The twelve Rebel pilots did everything in their power to defend the supply ships, but the odds were too overwhelming. The free TIE fighters struck against the supply shuttles, destroying them. As the Renegades engaged the rest of the 181st, a well-placed turbolaser blast from the _Avenger_ permanently disabled the _Hopskip_. Narra called for Jumper to hail the _Hopskip_'s captain, but there was no response. The freighter was dead.

And soon there were fewer and fewer X-wings left. In the end it was just Narra and his wingman facing off against twelve remaining TIEs. Narra allowed himself a moment of pride, knowing that his pilots had managed to vape so many enemy ships under such oppressive odds. But no matter how hard Narra jinked and juked his fighter, there was no shaking the Imperial on his six. The TIE pilot was _good_, the best Narra had ever flown against. In near-desperation Narra abruptly cut off his throttle, hoping that the TIE would overshoot him, but the Imperial ace didn't fall for that old trick.

There was a trill as Narra's sensors indicated the enemy had a target lock. Narra yanked his flightstick to starboard; the target was still locked. He called out to his wingman for help, but there was nothing that could be done. An explosion rocked Narra's port side as a green laser blast tore through his wingman's weakened shields.

He was the only Renegade left.

But he would never give up; he still struggled to get away from his pursuer and, to his complete surprise, he realized that the Imperial pilot had given up chase. Narra checked his instruments and saw that he was outside Derra IV's gravity well. They had failed the mission, but he could still survive to tell the Alliance what had happened this day…

_No_, Narra thought. Escape was too easy. The pilot pursuing him was too good. Narra should have been vaped. He was _about_ to be vaped, when his wingman perished.

And suddenly Narra realized that this was a trap.

The Imperials _wanted_ him to escape, so he could lead them right to Echo Base.

Well, Narra couldn't do that to his comrades.

Instead he turned back toward the scene of battle and reengaged the TIE fighters that hadn't yet returned to the Star Destroyer. He'd been allowed to escape, so Narra could only assume that they had orders not to kill him.

That would make his current job easier.

It only lasted a few moments before the Imperials realized that Narra had no plans to jump to hyperspace. The remaining TIEs went into quick retreat; Narra pursued and soon felt the lurch that accompanied a tractor beam lock. He sat stoically as he was pulled into the Star Destroyer's hangar.

"Jumper?" he finally asked. "What is the name of this Star Destroyer?"

A beep: _AVENGER._

Narra nodded. At least he would know the place of his death. "I'm sorry, Jumper. I need to activate override code seventeen. It's been a pleasure serving with you."

_LIKEWISE, COMMANDER._

The astromech fell silent. It would never operate again.

Narra waited until he was safely inside the _Avenger_'s hangar bay, then removed his sidearm from its holster. He closed his eyes, knowing that this was the only option, because he refused to betray his comrades.

He took a deep breath. "Long live the Alliance."

Those were the last words Arhul Narra ever spoke.

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Standing at the captain's station on the bridge of the _Avenger_, Captain Needa regarded the holographic image of Admiral Piett, stationed light years away on the _Executor_. The vast distance made his current report less disconcerting. Needa didn't think that Lord Vader could possibly execute a person from light-years away…

At least, he hoped that wasn't possible.

"The convoy was successfully destroyed, Admiral Piett. The Rebels will not be receiving their precious supplies; they will suffer as a result."

"Very good, captain. And the survivor? Has his jump been tracked?"

It was all Needa could do to not to betray the spike of fear that shot through his body. "I apologize, sir. Our fighters disengaged when there was only one pilot left. But that pilot never jumped to hyperspace."

"You have captured him?"

"Admiral…" How could Needa say this so it did not appear to be his responsibility… "Admiral, we brought the pilot's starfighter in via tractor beam, but when we opened the canopy we found that the pilot had expired."

"The pilot…the pilot is dead?"

"Yes, admiral. Via a self-inflicted blaster wound to the head."

Piett's eyes narrowed. "I see."

"We followed the plan to the letter, admiral. Unfortunately the Rebel did not act according to our plan. There was nothing that could be done."

There was a long pause as Piett collected his thoughts. "Very well. Return to the rendezvous location to transfer the 181st back to the _Executor_."

"Yes, admiral." Needa almost breathed a sigh of relief, until Lord Vader stepped into view behind the admiral. Piett turned infinitesimally toward Vader...

And then the connection was broken, the threat clearly delivered across the vastness of space—

_Do not fail again._

Needa swallowed hard, then left the bridge.

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It was only 0500 when Luke Skywalker stumbled into the Command Center. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the relative darkness, then strode toward the general leaning over a communications terminal. Leia sat at the terminal, shifting through pages and pages of data screens. They were some of the only people awake at this hour of the day. Everyone but essential personnel was still huddled under warm blankets to stave off the nighttime cold that seeped into the base. Luke had been asleep as well, warm and content as he held Mara in his arms, and had been more than a little annoyed when his comlink began buzzing at this Force-forsaken hour. It was only when he heard the urgency in General Rieekan's voice that he jumped out of bed and threw on the first piece of clean clothing he could grab. Mara almost insisted on coming along but Luke convinced her to stay, not wanting his obligations to disturb her sleep.

Both General Rieekan and Leia glanced up as Luke approached them. By the looks on their faces, something very bad had just happened.

"I'm sorry, Commander Skywalker," Rieekan said without preamble. "I have some bad news."

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Three hours later Luke entered the briefing room, lost in thought. He'd never gone back to his room; he couldn't bring himself to see Mara after what he'd just learned. If he saw her then he'd have to tell her what happened, and he would only be able to get through delivering this news once. So he'd made himself scarce, hiding in the Command Center and one of the empty conference rooms, where he'd practiced with his lightsaber.

He hadn't eaten breakfast; for once in his life, he had no appetite.

The Rogues quieted upon Luke's entrance. Mara's expression morphed from annoyed to concerned the moment she laid eyes on him.

The young commanding officer took a seat in front of his pilots and ran a hand through his mussed hair. Arhul Narra had been one of Luke's first mentors in the Alliance, and had encouraged him to start his own squadron. Now the decorated leader was gone, through absolutely no fault of his own.

This could have happened to the Rogues. They'd been assigned many similar missions. It almost _had_ happened to the Rogues, during their confrontation with the _Executor_ one year ago. Sheer luck and the will of the Force had been on their side that day.

Commander Narra and the Renegades had not been so lucky.

His eyes still downcast, Luke took a deep breath. A tear fell down his face, but he did not wipe it away.

"I'm sorry, Rogues. The Renegades won't be arriving on base today."

There was nothing else to be said.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

The cantina was dark and dingy, like the majority of cantinas in seedy spaceports throughout the galaxy. Han had been in many during his career as a smuggler and a surprising number more since he'd gotten sucked into the Alliance. It seemed that Rebel sympathizers appreciated the sort of atmosphere that was conducive to the secret meetings and backroom deals of smugglers.

And even though he'd been in several places like this while on missions with Leia, it still unnerved him to see her in such a lowbrow atmosphere. Even wearing a wig and a pair of dingy coveralls as a disguise, she still exuded an air of royalty. Mara and Winter had been trying hard to help her lose the stiff Princess act, but it didn't seem to help much; Leia commanded respect and loyalty wherever she went.

Or perhaps that was Han's bias rearing its head. Surely nobody else in the cantina gave them a second glance, which was exactly the way they wanted it.

Currently, Leia, Mara, and Han were sitting at a small table in a dark corner, joined by Liktat Zahr, their contact on Ord Mantell. A Devaronian with sharp-looking, gilded horns, he spoke with a sinister-sounding lisp that did nothing to ease Han's nerves. For not the first time since they'd landed in Worlport, Han wished that Chewbacca hadn't been ordered to stay with the _Falcon_. At least Mara knew well enough to keep her blaster in plain view on the table—not to mention the other blaster Han knew she had up her sleeve.

Leia, for her part, was the epitome of calm, as she always was during these missions. "I'm sorry, Mr. Zahr," she was saying, "but the Alliance cannot offer you safe harbor until your background is cleared by our Intelligence forces."

"Surely, done that already, yes?" the Devaronian responded. His speech patterns indicated that he was uneducated, but Han knew better. The alien was a smuggler, and a good one—and with smugglers came problems. He would know.

"There was not enough time before our meeting. But our Intelligence is working hard on to clear your record, I can assure you."

"No matter. You take weapons, yes?"

Leia nodded. "We would like to show you a debt of gratitude, of course. Our intelligence agents have prepared clean ship IDs and identicards for your personal use."

Zahr regarded Leia for a moment. "You help Liktat?"

"Yes. If you help us get more weapons and supplies, we will make sure that you remain safe from the Empire."

"In your thanks, I am." Zahr smiled and held out his hand.

Leia accepted his handshake, then turned to Han. "If there are no objections, our pilot and his first mate will transfer the supplies to our freighter."

"Now?" Han raised an eyebrow in protest.

Leia glared at him in return. "Yes, now."

Han didn't like the idea of leaving Leia alone while he loaded the weapons with Chewie. Of course, Leia wouldn't really be alone—Mara and her nasty-looking sidearm would be with her, and Leia had her own blaster for protection. But it didn't matter; Han was always uneasy when Leia was on her own during a mission, and he'd spent long days over the past year trying not to think about what that meant.

Han rolled his eyes, knowing that it was futile to argue with Leia when she was in mission-mode. "Fine. Let's go, Zahr." Gesturing for the Devaronian to go ahead of him, Han leaned down to whisper in Leia's ear. "I'll comm you as soon as we're done."

Leia shook her head. "It'll be too suspicious if we leave right after loading up the _Falcon_. We need to stay another night, and leave tomorrow."

"Are you crazy? The mission's done; let's get out of here, now!"

"No Han, we have to stay—it's mission parameters."

"Kriff mission parameters!" Normally Han let the Intelligence guys do their work and followed their instructions without question, but for some reason this time was different. Ord Mantell was rubbing Han the wrong way and he wanted to get off-planet as soon as possible.

Mara leaned in, speaking quietly and calmly, "Leia's right, Han. We need to stick to the mission."

Han sighed; he was outnumbered two to one, and by women no less. It was pointless to resist. "Fine—but I want it on record that I don't like this one bit."

"You don't have to like it, you just have to follow orders."

Han's eyes flashed at Leia's retort. "Yeah, you like when I follow orders, don't you sweetheart?"

"Just what are you impl—"

"Ahem." Mara cleared her throat; she glanced at the Devaronian, who was starting to regard their conversation with a bit too much curiosity.

Han straightened up. "Right. I'll see you two later." He bent down one more time to whisper in Leia's ear, "Be careful."

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.

The hotel they were staying in—it was really a warehouse building with flimsy walls that would fall over if they were breathed on the wrong way—was close to the cantina, and Mara and Leia took their time walking back after the meeting. Han would be pissed that they were casually strolling among Worlport's population, but Mara wasn't worried. She and Leia could take care of themselves; besides, Mara hadn't felt anything dangerous since they'd arrived on-planet.

Of course, that didn't mean that there wasn't anything to worry about on Ord Mantell. If there really was an Emperor's Hand in the area, Mara probably wouldn't be able to sense him or her in the Force. But for now she trusted her danger sense, and kept a hand on her blaster at all times.

At least there was no way that Mara would be recognized. With her long hair dyed black and brown contact lenses in her eyes, Mara hardly recognized herself. Luke had almost died when he came to say good-bye before the mission. This was the first time since joining the Alliance that Mara had changed her appearance while on a mission, as there was little chance she'd be recognized by random Imperials who'd only known her by title. But now, with the possibility of an Emperor's Hand in the picture, Mara decided a disguise was necessary and also did her best to hide herself in the Force.

After a ten-minute walk, they arrived back at their hotel. Mara had hoped that the exercise would help Leia blow off some steam. It didn't work; the Princess was still ranting and raving when they entered the room that, to Leia's dismay, she was forced to share with Han. Having them pose as a couple gave the group slightly more anonymity. Mara was staying in an adjacent room; with her dark hair, she was posing as Leia's sister. Chewbacca was staying on the _Falcon_, both to guard the weapons and because a Wookiee traveling with three humans would look a bit too suspicious.

"I don't know where he gets off telling me to be careful!" Leia growled as the door hissed shut behind them. "Han Solo, the man who made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs—and I know because he will never stop reminding me of that fact—is telling _me _to be careful!"

"It is kind of ironic," Mara admitted.

"Just who does he think he is, acting like he cares?"

"Oh come on, Leia. Of course he cares."

"Well, he has a funny way of showing it."

Mara sighed and plopped down on the room's sole bed. "Look, Leia, men have different ways of showing their affections. If you want my input—"

"I really don't."

"—Han is obviously crazy about you."

"If that's true, then why won't he join the Alliance?"

"I thought he gave you a pretty good reason."

"Yes, he doesn't want to join another military after having served in the Empire. It's a bunch of shavit, Mara—you had no problem joining the Alliance. Neither did General Madine, or Tycho, or Rade, or anyone else who defected!"

"Things are different for Han."

"Because he wants nothing resembling commitment or responsibility."

"I don't think that's true. He's extremely loyal to Luke. I doubt he's made one decision without considering Chewie's life debt. And, although he's not an official part of the Alliance, he never refuses a mission when you're involved."

"He would never give up the chance to antagonize me."

"He could antagonize you any other time, Leia."

"Which he does!"

Mara rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, he doesn't want to leave your side. I think that speaks for something."

Leia, who had been pacing around the room, collapsed on the bed next to Mara. "Fine, maybe it does. So then why won't he join the Alliance?"

Mara shrugged. "Maybe he's scared."

"Please—Han Solo? I don't think he's scared of anything."

"He was a smuggler for years, Leia. That kind of life can be hard, especially when you're an independent like he was. Perhaps he doesn't want to put you in danger. Have you ever asked him about it?"

"He won't ever talk about it."

"He's probably ashamed of his past. Think about it, Leia—you're a _princess_. You don't think that's intimidating in the slightest?"

"With his arrogance?"

Against her better judgment, Mara started laughing. "What's so funny?" Leia demanded.

Mara shook her head. "Nothing."

"No, tell me!"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Leia's eyes narrowed, and Mara was suddenly very glad that they were now on the same side of the war. "Oh I think I do."

"Okay, fine, but I warned you—and don't hit me! But you seem to be trying pretty hard to convince yourself that Han's reasons for not joining aren't valid, almost as if you're trying to convince yourself that you don't like him."

As expected, Leia's expression was incredulous. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"Is it really? You two both do a pretty good job of acting like you despise each other, but everyone on base has figured you out."

"I don't love him, Mara," Leia retorted.

"Who said anything about love?" Mara replied. Leia looked away, a red tinge forming on her cheeks.

Mara smiled to herself, knowing that she had set the wheels in motion, and that it was now time to change the subject so Leia didn't think she was pushing too hard. "I'm gonna go back to my room and get changed. Cracken and Madine wanted me to go scout out the city. Will you be all right if I'm gone?"

"Of course," Leia snapped, still reeling from Han's concern in the cantina and Mara's accusation about her true feelings. With an apologetic look, she palmed her blaster. "I _am _armed, you know."

"Of course. Comm me if you need me."

"Will do."

.

.

.

With all the supplies loaded up on the _Falcon_, there was nothing left to do but head back to the dingy hotel where he, Leia, and Mara were staying. Yet, even as concerned as he was for Leia, Han couldn't bring himself to leave the _Falcon _just yet. He felt bad leaving Chewie on his own, even though his friend was more than happy being left alone to tinker with the ship.

Okay, perhaps that was the real reason Han didn't want to leave just yet—he wanted to make sure Chewie wasn't making too much of a mess or tearing everything apart.

The two of them sat in the main hold, playing a casual round of dejarik, but not really paying much attention to the game. Chewie was being rather inquisitive about the mission, mostly about Leia's actions. Han didn't know why and didn't think anything of it until he started complaining about Chewie staying on the _Falcon_.

"I know Mara has a very nasty gun and could kick my ass from here to the Core, but I'd really prefer if you were there with us. You just don't mess with people who have a Wookiee with them."

Chewie barked a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, the Empire might mess with us if they saw you around. But still, Chewie, I don't like it."

As one of his game pieces threw one of Han's on its back, Chewbacca wuffed a response.

"I don't know why this mission is different. Maybe…oh, I don't know. Who am I kidding. Anyone who messes with the Princess is sure to get an earful."

Chewie growled an agreement, then tilted his head and asked a question of his own.

"What are you talking about, you big lug?"

The large Wookiee didn't respond, just cocked his furry brow.

"You're being ridiculous, pal. I'm overprotective because I don't want the Rebel's precious Princess gettin' hurt on my watch. That's all." But Han's protest was starting to sound futile, even to himself.

Chewbacca howled in protest. "It's not like that, Chewie, and you should drop it, all right?" Han stood up, turned off the game, and gathered his belongings, deciding that now was the perfect time to leave. He didn't need his perceptive friend putting any ideas about the Princess into his head.

Especially not when he'd spent the past year trying to forget about those same ideas.

.

.

.

Ord Mantell's sun was beginning to set when Han arrived back at the hotel. Leia glanced up from her datapad and offered a polite greeting. In the past few hours she'd done her best to forget about her conversation with Mara. Work had distracted her to a point, but now she had to force herself not to tense upon being in Han's presence again.

"Hey," he said, dropping a bag on the room's small table and taking a seat across from Leia. He removed his boots and belt, then propped his feet up on the bed. "Any problems?"

Leia shook her head. "It's been quiet. Did everything go okay with the _Falcon_?"

"Yup. Supplies are loaded. We're ready to leave whenever you give the okay."

Leia raised her eyebrow. "Which won't be tonight."

Han rolled his eyes. "As you wish, Princess."

"How's Chewbacca?"

"He's fine. I picked up some real food for us." He grabbed some boxes out of the bag and placed one in front of Leia.

"Mmm, it smells delicious. That was nice of you," Leia said, offering a genuine smile. Now that she thought about it, there'd been many times when Han had done nice things for her...and what exactly did that mean, she wondered?

"I told you, I _am _nice. Where's Mara? I picked up some for her too."

"Oh, she went out. She had some intel work for Cracken and Madine."

Han paused in mid-motion, fork halfway to his mouth. "She did _what_?"

Leia blinked, pausing while she chewed her food. "She went out."

"Why the hell did she do that?"

"I told you, she had a job to do."

"I don't care! She wasn't supposed to leave you alone."

Leia narrowed her eyes and stabbed a piece of meat with her fork. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I've been locked in this hotel room since she left, with my blaster right next to me the entire time!" She pointed to it, still lying on the table. "Why are you being so absurd?"

"I ain't absurd!"

"Yes, you are! You've been overly protective ever since we got here. It's like you think I'm some sort of invalid or something."

"I don't think that—"

Leia cut him off, her voice growing shrill. "And just why do you care so much anyway?"

"I don't want you getting hurt on my watch, all right?"

"Oh, is that all?"

"Yeah—why, you were hoping it was some other reason?"

She huffed and took another huge bite of food. "Of course not."

"Sure."

"Why are you even bothered by what Alliance leadership thinks of you? If they dared to criticize you, you'd just scuttle along on your merry way without a second thought."

"Oh, here we go again, complaining about me not joining the Alliance."

"Yes, here we go again!" They were straining at each other over the table now, doing their best to keep their voices low but hissing at each other nonetheless. "Until you give me one logical reason for not officially joining the Alliance, I'm not going to let it go!"

"And why do you care if I stay, huh?"

"Because you're a great help to the Alliance! You're a natural leader."

"Oh, is that all?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Han leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk on his lips, and took a bite of food before taunting her again. "You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

Leia shook her head in disgust. "You're imagining things."

"Am I?"

"Oh, you are so infuriating."

He grinned. "I know."

"This would all be so simple if you'd join the Alliance, you know that?"

"Why should I join, Leia? Give me one good reason."

"Because you believe in the Alliance! I know you do, or else you wouldn't be here right now!"

"Maybe I do believe, but I've been serving in my own way for two years and I don't see how anything's gonna change by me making it official. I like my independence to come and go as I please."

"Of course. You don't think of anybody other than yourself."

Han practically threw his chair back and pushed himself up from the table. "Now you listen to me, sister—"

Leia mimicked his gesture, and came around the table so she could point in his face. "What's wrong? Have I said one thing that's untrue?"

Han stared at her; for a long moment, Leia thought he was going to forget about his protectiveness and rush out of the room. But he remained in place, staring down at her intently, and Leia couldn't bring herself to look away.

"What do you want, Leia?" he finally asked, sounding incredibly defeated.

"What are you talking about?"

He took a step closer to her. She backed away automatically but bumped into her chair, keeping her from going any further as Han continued advancing. "I'm talking about you, Leia, constantly on my case to stay in the Alliance, and in the next breath calling me a scoundrel or making me feel like I'm not good enough because I'm a smuggler."

"I don't do that."

"Yeah, you do."

"Well then we're even, because you make me feel like I'm a snotty, helpless princess who can't take care of myself."

"You _are _a princess."

"But I can take care of myself!"

Han took another step, and they were flush against each other. Her hand, still pointing at his face, fell helplessly to her side. Leia could feel the heat radiating off his body and made no effort to move.

She didn't want to.

Two sets of brown eyes locked onto each other. "What do you want, Leia?" he asked again.

_"You!" _The word fell out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She expected to see a flash of triumph on Han's face but there was nothing, and that only made her madder. She straightened up, forcing herself to hold his gaze. "There—are you happy now? I admitted it. Go on, gloat."

But Han said nothing, and she couldn't take it anymore. She turned to the door, desperately seeking the solitude of Mara's room…

Before she could leave, Han reached out and grabbed her, his hand warm on her arm. She shrugged him off and scowled at him. "Just what do you think you're—?"

She didn't get a chance to finish her question before his lips descended on hers. They were warm and firm and her mouth instinctively moved against them, as if she was born to do this. Her hand reached up to tangle in his soft hair and she no longer cared that he was ten years older than her, or that he was a smuggler and she was a princess, or that he wouldn't officially join the Alliance. She no longer worried about her inexperience in romance or that he would compare her to previous women. None of that mattered anymore.

He pulled away and she almost whimpered in protest, but then he cupped her cheek and gave her a tender look, so unlike the gruff persona he presented to the galaxy. "I want you too, Leia," he whispered, his voice deep and full of desire.

Between their fervent kisses and insistent caresses, they stumbled across the room and Leia somehow tripped over her own two feet. They tumbled onto the bed; Leia felt Han's laughter against her lips, and she smiled back.

In that moment she wasn't Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, leader of the Rebellion. She was just Leia, a girl—no, a woman—trying to find her place in the galaxy.

And for once in her life, she was truly happy.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

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Pulling her cloak tighter around her slight frame, Mara strolled through the streets of Worlport, a seemingly innocent girl way out of her league in the big city. She received stares but ignored them, her right hand resting on her blaster and her hard eyes observing the busy nighttime streets.

This was her element. Alone, on a mission, with singular purpose, armed with all the tools to accomplish her task. She had nobody weighing her down; nobody she had to make concessions for. It was just her and her talents, against the galaxy.

When Mara had first joined Intelligence, it had been difficult for her to use her old training and knowledge to her advantage. In her mind, all of that was irrevocably connected with the Emperor, and she wanted nothing more than to forget that part of her life ever existed. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't forget, and eventually she'd been forced to admit that her time as the Emperor's Hand could have a positive effect on the Rebel Alliance, if only she'd use it. After all, that was why Cracken had been so accepting of her deceptions, and so anxious to get her into Intelligence.

To her surprise, Mara found that slipping into her old Emperor's Hand persona was not accompanied by the negative feelings she'd expected. She was using her skills to restore freedom to the galaxy, and using Palpatine's training against him felt better than she could have imagined.

Stepping aside to allow two rather drunk pedestrians to pass by without bumping into her, Mara stretched out with the Force, searching for any nearby Force-users. As had been the case the past several hours walking the streets, Mara couldn't sense anyone strong in the Force, and certainly nobody who would call him- or herself the Emperor's Hand.

She did, however, sense someone nearby with malicious intent. That in and of itself wasn't unusual, especially not in a city like Worlport, which was filled with undesirables. What _was _alarming was that once she sensed the person—a human male, if her feelings were correct—her danger sense spiked dramatically. Almost as if this person posed as much harm as an Emperor's Hand.

Pulling up the hood of her cloak, Mara glanced around the street to search for the source of the danger. She found nothing so she fell into the Force and allowed it to guide her. Opening her eyes, she felt pulled toward an entrance down the street.

Stepping into what appeared to be Worlport's seediest cantina, she saw a man at the bar, clad in green Mandalorian armor and carrying a large array of weapons. He was a bounty hunter named Boba Fett, famous throughout the galaxy and often employed by Darth Vader when the Sith Lord was tired of dealing with Imperial fleet bureaucracy.

What was Fett doing _here_? Was he looking for her? Was that the reason she felt danger? Mara had trouble believing that; if her former master suspected that she was on Ord Mantell, Vader would be the one looking for her.

No, Fett's mission was different, but she knew that whatever it was, it also placed her in danger. She decided to throw caution to the wind and find out why he was on Ord Mantell by going directly to the source.

Luke would blow a gasket when he found out that she did this. He'd certainly find out—he always did, no matter how much she tried to hide things from him—and although she did feel badly for causing him to worry, his concerns weren't her problem. She was a grown woman, and she'd survived all of the Emperor's missions and then defecting from his service.

_Sorry about this, Farmboy,_ she thought to herself. _But I'm sure you've done something equally as brash in the few days since I left Hoth, so let's call it even._

Harkening back to all her training as a spy, Mara casually made her way across the room to where Fett was standing at the bar, speaking to the Rodian dispensing drinks. They were conversing in Huttese, a language Mara knew socially. She caught a few words that caused her danger sense to heighten even more—bounty, death mark…_Solo._

Mara had to force herself not to gasp. Fett was looking for Han!

Sweet stars, what _had_ that man gotten himself into this time? Whatever it was, it wasn't pretty, not with someone like Fett on the case.

Mara couldn't leave the bar just yet without appearing suspicious, so instead she signaled to the barkeep. Pausing the conversation, he stepped to her and nodded. "What'll it be?" he asked in accented Basic.

"Brandy, the cheapest you got."

The Rodian nodded, not bothering to ask for identification, not that this kind of establishment worried about those sorts of things. While she waited for her drink Mara glanced to her right. Fett was watching her intently.

She decided it was time to call on her old acting skills. Shifting her weight to a more seductive stance, she leaned in and practically purred, "Looking for a good time?"

The bounty hunter remained facing her direction, then shook his head deliberately. With his helmet blocking his facial expressions, she focused instead on his body language. "Not interested." He definitely wasn't.

Time to step up the game. "Oh, come now," Mara said, running her hand up and down Fett's gauntleted arm. She batted her eyes and offered a demure smile. "I'll give you a discount."

"Not interested," he repeated firmly. He wasn't biting, so Mara decided it was time to change her tactics.

"What, are you busy or something?" she nearly pouted.

"Yes."

"Doing what?" The Rodian placed the glass of brandy on the counter, and Mara tossed him a credchip.

"None of your business." Fett tossed his own chips onto the bar. He turned to her and nodded. "Evening."

"Wait." Mara reached out and grabbed his arm, knowing that she was playing with fire, but willing to risk it to get him to talk to her. Leaning up, she whispered to his helmet, "Maybe I can help…_bounty hunter_."

Fett glared at her, his body language turning hard and dangerous. Mara didn't back down, knowing that she had him now. Looking over his shoulder, Fett gestured to a dark corner of the bar. Mara nodded, grabbed her glass, and followed him. When they arrived, he whirled on her and Mara felt his blaster shoved against her side. She had expected it, and wasn't alarmed.

Her holdout blaster was hidden safely under her cloak, at the ready.

"What do you want?" Fett growled.

"I want to help," she demurred. "I know everything in this city. You have questions, I have answers."

"Who are you?"

"A friend."

"I don't think so."

"Try me."

Fett paused, seemingly weighing his options. Deciding that he'd be able to space her quickly if she was playing him, he answered simply, "Han Solo."

Mara nodded, both to gain Fett's approval and also to keep herself from showing too much concern. "He's wanted by the Empire."

"Who he's wanted by isn't your concern. Do you know where he is, or not?" His blaster jutted into her side, warning her of the punishment for deception.

Mara held his gaze. "He's here. Staying at the Blue Sky hotel. His ship is docked at the West spaceport."

The blaster shoved harder into her ribs and Mara had to bite her lip to keep from crying out in pain—not to mention stop herself from flooring him right in the middle of the bar. "How do you know this?" he growled.

"I told you, I know everything." She batted her eyes. Doing this would be risky, but if she didn't ask for payment, her cover would be blown… "Now…shall we discuss payment?"

Fett reached out and grabbed her throat, then shoved her against the wall. "Your payment is not having your guts blasted against this wall. Get out. And if I find that you've lied to me…you're dead."

Mara smiled and reached up to gently remove his fingers from her throat. "Don't you worry, bounty hunter. I never lie."

.

.

.

Leia stared unblinking at the ceiling, lost in thought, and barely aware that her skin was still pressed up against Han's. Her mind raced with a million questions—what did this mean? Was he serious about her? Did he regret what they'd just done? Did she? Did he love her?

Did she love him?

His leg brushed against hers, harder and with intent. She turned her head to find Han watching her with a faint smile.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You need to stop thinking so much."

Even now, her protest was automatic. "I'm not thinking."

"Uh-huh, sure. I can tell when the wheels are turning behind those pretty brown eyes of yours, and right now they're going a klick a minute."

"Okay, fine. But it's _your _fault. You've given me a lot to think about."

Han leaned back on his pillow and crossed his arms behind his head. "Oh, have I?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

He grinned. "As you wish, Your Highnessness."

She tried to throw him a glare, but couldn't muster the indignation. He really had given her a lot to think about. What was going on between them? Was it just a fling, or something more? Leia's gut instinct was telling her that Han would never take advantage of her if he wasn't serious, and she wanted to believe it so badly…

Han leaned over her shoulder; his breath was warm on her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "You're doing it again."

She turned in his arms to face him. "I can't help it."

Han cupped her face with his hands. "If I told you that I don't regret this, will that help?"

"I…" Leia trailed off, partly bursting from his declaration, partly scared to death of his intensity. Then he kissed her again and all her misgivings were swept away.

She smiled as they broke apart. "I don't, either." She leaned in for another kiss…

Then there was a triple knock at the door, the agreed-upon signal if there was trouble and they needed to enter the other room. Leia pushed away from Han and gripped the bedsheet tight around her body. Han grabbed his blaster and leveled it at the door.

But his precautions were unnecessary; the door slid open and Mara stepped through. She shrugged off the hood of her cloak, a worried expression on her face.

That expression turned to mirth for just a moment as she spotted them lying in bed together. Then she began hurrying around the room, grabbing all of the necessities. Leia noticed that Mara was carrying her own bag on her shoulder.

Han was the first to come to his senses. "What the hell's going on, Mara?" He went to stand but realized that would make the situation even more embarrassing, so he remained on the bed with the bedsheet securely over his waist.

"Trouble. Here." She threw Han's discarded shorts at his head. "We need to leave Ord Mantell."

Leia sat up a bit. "But—"

"We need to leave _now_, Leia." Mara gathered up Leia's clothes and placed them on the foot of the bed, then turned around. "Hurry up, get dressed. Time's wasting."

Leia shared an awkward glance with Han, then did as instructed. "Um, Mara…about this…"

"Look, there are more important things to worry about right now than you two finally knocking boots. Let's get the hell off Ord Mantell and I'll make fun of you all the way back to base."

Han nodded. "A woman after my own heart." Leia glared at him, and Han made a face. "You know what I mean." He grabbed his comlink. "I should alert Chewie."

"Already did it," Mara informed them. "He's ready to take off."

"What's going on, Mara?" Leia asked. Finally changed, she took her bag out of Mara's hands and made sure her blaster was secure in its holster.

Mara turned around. "I told you, we've got trouble. We gotta leave."

"How do you know?"

Mara shifted her weight uncomfortably and paused for just a moment. Then she glanced at Han. "You familiar with a bounty hunter named Fett?"

Han's gaze turned icy. "Yeah. I know him. Why?"

"He's here, looking for you."

"Krell!" Han flew into a frenzy, grabbing the rest of their belongings and practically pushing them out the hotel room door. "Did you see him?"

Mara paused again, as if she was hesitant to explain how she'd come across the bounty hunter. Leia studied her face, trying to get a read on her emotions, but it was pointless. Mara had always been very good at hiding her feelings, even among her closest friends. "I noticed him. Knew who he was, and decided to find out why he was on Ord Mantell of all places. I talked to him, he said he was looking for you, so I fed him false information."

"He won't be fooled by that for long."

"I know, which is why we are leaving right now." Mara led the way through the hotel's hallways and stairwells. "We'll take the back exit, try to avoid him in case he tailed me. If we see him," she glanced back at Han and Leia, "you two turn away and start making out. If he sees us, run like hell."

"Sounds like a plan," Leia said sarcastically.

"This is serious, Leia," Han said, all sense of humor gone. "Fett's dangerous."

"Why is he after you?" Leia demanded.

"Jabba must've decided he got sick of waiting."

"Jabba? The Hutt?"

"You know another Jabba?"

"Hey, as fun as storytime is, can you two please hurry up?" Mara snapped at them from several paces ahead, where she had already reached the exit.

"She's right; let's go." Han grabbed Leia's arm and hurried her forward, so the three of them were in line together as they walked down the busy street.

"Why did you work for Jabba? He's notoriously bad-tempered."

"Yeah, well, he also pays notoriously well. I took a risk. I got boarded, dumped the shipment. I never paid him back, and I guess after two years he's tired of waiting."

"Why haven't you paid him?"

Han smirked at her. "I took a job that would've paid him off, but I ran into some Imperial trouble while rescuing an Alderaanian princess, and I haven't been able to leave her since."

A few paces ahead, Mara suppressed a chuckle. Leia blushed. "Oh."

.

.

.

They walked for awhile longer, disappearing into the evening crowd. Suddenly Mara paused, hackles raised. "Inside, now!" she hissed. She practically dove inside the entrance to the nearest club. Han grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her inside, belatedly realizing that he'd nearly yanked her arm out of its socket. He gave her an apologetic grimace, then followed Mara into the crowd.

"What's going on, Mara?" he demanded. The ex-Imperial agent raised a finger while observing the room. Her eyes narrowed, then she visibly relaxed.

"Come on, we gotta find another way out of this club," Mara whispered.

"Is he here?"

"No."

"Well then why don't we _stay_ here?"

Mara gave him a patient look. "Because he's on our tail. I don't know how, but he is. Now, do you wanna be in this club when he finally catches up with us? Come on, I see a back exit." Not waiting for a response Mara ducked out the doorway, glanced around the street, then fell into the pedestrian traffic.

"How does he know where we are?" Leia asked. The traffic was heavy and Han was hopeful they'd lose Fett in the crowd, but he doubted it. Fett was a pro, the best there was, and if he'd gotten tipped off to Han's whereabouts there was no way they'd lose him until they were off-planet, and even then Fett might still be able to track their movements.

Mara shrugged. "We can figure that out later, once we get off this rock."

Finally they reached the spaceport. "What if he's got people inside, waiting for me? The _Falcon_ isn't that inconspicuous," Han worried.

Mara shook her head. "Don't worry; it's clear."

"How do you know?"

Mara stared at him blankly. "Isn't it obvious? Chewbacca's in the cockpit. Wouldn't he tip us off if there was any danger?"

"Oh. Right."

Sticking to the shadows, the three of them crept toward the back of the spaceport, where the _Falcon_ was berthed. Han hoped that the out of the way spot would keep Fett from catching them, and that almost was the case.

"Drop!" Mara yelled just as the ship came into view. Han complied without thinking and fell to the ground just as red blaster fire flew over his head. Han managed to turn and saw the familiar form of Boba Fett stalking toward them, still a good fifty meters away.

"Go!" Han grabbed Leia's arm and pushed her toward the _Falcon_. She ran as fast as she could, not bothering to return Fett's fire. Han did so instead, leveling his blaster at the bounty hunter while Leia and Mara raced to the ramp.

The _Falcon_ was already on its repulsorlifts, ready to lift off. Han turned back to the ship and ran, stopping only when when one of the blaster bolts flew by him and grazed Leia on the leg. The Princess yelped and nearly collapsed, but managed to pick herself up and hobble to the ramp.

"Leia!" Han's breath caught in his throat and he remained frozen in fear. It was only when another blaster bolt grazed his hair that he shook himself back to life, pushing his worry out of his mind so he could focus on the task at hand. Rushing to the ship, he lifted Leia into his arms. Mara was on the ramp now, laying down suppression fire while Han carried Leia into the ship. Once they were inside he laid her down on the ground. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "It's not bad. Hurry, get us out of here!"

"I got her, Han," Mara said, coming in behind them.

"See?" Leia said. "Now go!"

Han took a deep breath, then kissed Leia on the top of her head. "As you wish, sweetheart."

Then he headed to the cockpit and forced himself not to think about what could have happened to Leia. That the blaster shot could have hit her head, or her back…that she could have been killed.

It was stupid, of course. Leia was always in some sort of trouble. It was the story of her life in the Alliance. He should be able to deal with it by now.

But after tonight…he didn't know if he could deal with seeing Leia hurt ever again.

Especially not when he was the reason she'd been in danger in the first place.

If he didn't pay off Jabba the Hutt, he'd be a dead man. Fett and the other bounty hunters wouldn't rest until they had him in their clutches. If they finally caught up with him while Leia was around…

Han couldn't let her get hurt, or possibly worse, because of his past mistakes. He wouldn't do that. He cared about her too much to let that happen.

As much as it would hurt both of them…he only had one option.

.

.

.

Finally safe in the ship, Leia allowed herself to relax as Mara tended to her leg. She smiled to herself, remembering the first time Mara had been on the _Falcon_, while Leia tended to _Mara_'s leg. Apparently the irony was not lost on Mara because she smiled, too. "It's time I repaid the favor, don't you think?"

"Yes. Although I think your wound was a lot worse than mine. The blast just grazed me, thankfully."

"Yeah, you shouldn't even need any bacta." They fell into silence as Mara finished bandaging Leia's leg. "There. Good as new."

Leia glanced up and met Mara's gaze. "Thanks."

Mara shifted awkwardly. "Yeah. Um. Perhaps I should go to the cockpit, see if everything's all right—"

"Wait. I have to ask you something."

"If it's about you and Han, don't worry. I won't say anything. I'm just glad you two finally came to your senses."

Leia blushed. "Oh, yeah…thanks. But that's actually not what I wanted to talk about."

Mara's head snapped up, and she suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "It's not?"

Leia shook her head. This was uncomfortable for her as well, but she had to ask. "How did you _really _know Fett was looking for Han?"

Mara blinked. "I told you what happened."

"I know, but why did you feel the urge to talk to him in the first place? He wasn't what you went out looking for—was it?"

Mara was silent for long moments as she contemplated her answer. "No," she finally answered. "It wasn't."

"And then, when we were heading to the ship, you knew where to go and when Fett was following us. It was like you could sense him. How?"

Mara finally looked up, her fake brown eyes glowing with intensity. "The Force," she stated simply.

Leia let out a breath, then nodded. She was right. "Does anyone else know?"

"Other than Cracken, Madine, and Luke, no."

"Is that why you and Luke…" Leia trailed off, not wanting to be rude, but Mara caught her drift anyway.

"It's not why we're together, no. But it is why we felt such a strong initial connection. It's…it's hard to explain, to people who can't use the Force."

"No, I understand." And Leia did, of course; she had felt the same connection with Luke the first time she laid eyes on him in her cell on the Death Star. It had been an instant connection, as if she had known him forever. Obviously it was different from what he and Mara shared, but perhaps some people were just drawn together, no matter what, Force or no Force.

Mara's expression grew concerned. "Please don't tell anyone, Leia. I don't want to be another hope for the Alliance, or another target for the Empire."

"Are you ashamed of what you can do?"

"No! It's not like that at all. It's just…it's complicated."

Leia patted her friend's arm. She didn't understand why Mara would deny the power that had been granted to her, but she would help keep Mara's secret as long as she desired. After all, what were friends for?

With a grin, Leia answered, "If you keep my secret, I'll keep yours."

Mara returned the grin. "It's a deal, although I think you have the much better secret, shacking up with a hot Corellian."

Before Leia could retort, the ship lurched and they felt the familiar whirring of the hyperdrive. "I guess we made it," Mara said.

"Yes. But we'll need to drop out of hyperspace several times before arriving to Echo Base, in case we're being tracked. I should go tell Han."

"I'm sure he's thought of it already."

"But—"

"Look, I know you're anxious to see your sexy flyboy, but you need to go lie down. I'll go tell him."

Leia huffed, but she knew that Mara was right. Besides, there would be plenty of time to see Han later. "Fine. But if Han asks where I am—"

Mara grinned. "Don't worry. I'll tell him to meet you in bed."

Leia rolled her eyes, then headed to her cabin. As she settled down in her bunk, she ruminated on Mara's revelation. For some reason, it hadn't surprised Leia that Mara could use the Force. Her danger sense and keen instincts were similar to Luke's. It was amazing to Leia that she hadn't connected the dots before now.

Or maybe it was just that she hadn't _tried_ to connect the dots before now. Perhaps it was instinct speaking to her, showing her what she needed to see—just like on Dantooine. Just like during the mission briefing where Luke had lied to Command. Han had once accused Leia of only being in tune with her feelings when it concerned Luke, and Luke's relationship with Mara, and Leia had to admit that Han was right. Now she'd once again had a gut feeling about Mara which had proven to be correct. These instincts were getting stronger and stronger, and were becoming harder to ignore…

And Leia had no idea what that meant.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The plan had failed. Once again, a surefire plan had gone awry at the last minute and the Rebels had slipped through Vader's fingers. The Sith Lord paced on the command walkway of the _Executor_, absentmindedly observing the activity on the bridge while considering his latest conversation with the Emperor.

Palpatine had been displeased, no doubt, with Vader's failure to obtain the location of the Rebel base, but the punishment Vader expected hadn't come. Instead Palpatine had gazed intently at his apprentice and demanded how Vader planned to fix all this.

The Battle of Derra IV, while not reaching Vader's ultimate goal, had been a strategic victory for the Empire. The Alliance would be forced to go without much-needed supplies, and if Vader could soon pinpoint the base's location, it would be difficult for the Rebels to mount a considerable defense.

So Vader assured the Emperor that a new plan was already underway, placating his master for the time being. It was time to resort back to an old standard. Thanks to Imperial Intelligence, Vader had a vague idea of where a Rebel base might be located, and that knowledge would be used to his advantage.

"Lord Vader?" Admiral Piett strode up the walkway, bowing politely as he stopped in front of his commander. "The probe droids are ready to be launched."

"Transmit the order," Vader commanded.

"Yes, sir." Piett turned to the starboard crew pit and addressed the ops officer. "Lieutenant, launch probe droids."

Vader was already gone, standing in front of the transparisteel viewports. He could not see every probe droid launched, but several of them drifted into view before jumping to hyperspace and setting about on their programmed course. Somehow, Vader knew that one of these probes would find the Rebel base. He could feel it in his bones, and in the Force. And in that base he would find his son…

And then everything would change.

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.

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.

For Luke Skywalker, it was yet another freezing afternoon patrolling the ice plains of Hoth. Meteor activity had increased over the past two weeks, and Command was concerned that the activity would make it difficult for the sensors to pick up any probe droids in the area. So the number of patrols had been stepped up, much to the chagrin of everybody on patrol duty, which of course included all of Rogue Squadron.

The past week on base had been much more interesting than usual, but not always in a good way. After the success with the speeders, Mara had returned to base with disturbing news about the mission to Ord Mantell. Luke had flown into a frenzy, worrying himself sick thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong. He'd known that the mission was going to be dangerous, as all her missions were, and he should have insisted he go along with them.

Mara had promptly knocked some sense into him, both metaphorically and literally, as she pointed out that they'd returned to Echo Base safe and sound without Luke's help. She was right, of course—she was more than capable of taking care of herself, as were all his friends—but it didn't matter. He'd always worry about her.

But worst of all was the deterioration of Han and Leia's relationship that came out of nowhere. Judging by the harsh looks the two gave each other every time they came into close contact, it didn't take a genius to realize that something had happened between them on Ord Mantell. Mara would only shrug in response when Luke questioned her.

Han was originally scheduled to be on this patrol with Luke but got out of it, saying he had some repairs to make to the _Falcon_, so Dack had been reassigned in Han's spot. The young Rogue had grumbled incessantly, insisting that he was supposed to be making out with his hot Twi'lek girlfriend instead of freezing to death on a tauntaun, which garnered him no sympathy from Luke. Luke would rather be inside with his hot redhead, especially after the morning they'd spent together. It had been awhile since they'd had an opportunity to practice their Force skills, and that morning Mara had "kidnapped" Luke after breakfast and decided they were going to train. They'd spent hours in his bedroom, sitting on the floor and reaching out with the Force, sensing and gaining strength from each other. Mara was trying to teach Luke how to sense other beings, which he was getting better at but still could not master completely. The only people he was able to sense were people he was close to, like Han, Leia, and Wedge.

It was hard for Mara to try to teach Luke what she knew about the Force, as the Emperor had never taught her the same Force philosophy she would have learned from a Jedi. She'd learned how to sense the Emperor from anywhere in the galaxy, along with basic Force skills that would be useful on her missions. Even so, their all-too-brief and very infrequent practice sessions were the highlight of Luke's time with Mara. He felt so connected to her as she helped him learn about the Force. He knew that some men would have felt threatened by their significant other taking on a teaching role, but Luke wasn't bothered at all. Instead, it made him love Mara even more.

_Love…_

Luke shook his head against the cold, howling wind. He still hadn't told her. He didn't know what he was waiting for. Surely she'd been able to sense his emotions. But she hadn't said anything, and perhaps that was what was keeping Luke from admitting his feelings. Mara had been through so much since serving the Emperor, and Luke didn't want to overwhelm her with heartfelt declarations so soon after breaking her connection with Palpatine. So for now he remained quiet, even though his heart ached to tell her.

Luke forced all thoughts out of his mind and turned his focus back to the patrol. With any luck, this would be the last time he'd ever have to patrol on a tauntaun, and that thought warmed him up just a tad.

Just then, there was a niggling feeling at the back of Luke's mind, something that he'd learned always preceded danger. Mara referred to it as her "danger sense," and it had been one of her most useful tools when she'd been the Emperor's Hand. She insisted that Luke never ignore that bad feeling, no matter how ridiculous he might feel or how good things seemed to be going.

Heeding her warning, Luke raised his arm and activated the comlink on his wrist. "Echo Three to Echo Five. Doing all right out there, Dack?"

Through the driving snow, Luke could barely make out the silhouette of Dack on his tauntaun, approximately 100 meters away. The other man raised his arm in a wave. "Doing fine, boss. What about you?"

"Freezing, but what else is new?"

"Right." Suddenly there was a bright streak across the sky, followed by a fiery impact. "Whoa! Did you see that?"

"Yeah, I saw that all right. Meteor?"

"Looks like it. It's not too far; I'll go take a closer look."

"I'm right behind you," Luke said, bringing around his tauntaun to head in Dack's direction. After a bit of riding he stopped alongside Dack, who had dismounted from his tauntaun to investigate the crater. The meteor was impacted in the snow several meters below.

"Yup, just another meteor," Dack said.

Luke sighed. "With all these meteors, it's going to be hard to scan the nearby system for ships."

"Or probe droids," Dack added in a worried tone.

"Yeah, them too," Luke murmured. They observed the meteor for a few more moments, and Luke made some notes on the datapad he kept in his jacket pocket. After replacing the datapad, he patted Dack on the shoulder. "Hit all your markers yet?"

Dack groaned. "I've just got one more to go. I'll be quick."

"Good, because I hit all mine and I don't want to have to wait for your slow ass."

"Hey—!"

There it was again—that niggling feeling in the back of Luke's mind, only now it had grown to something much greater. It was practically screaming _danger _at him, and Luke tensed, not knowing what to expect. Mara's danger sense was so innate that she barely had to think in order to react to it, and this was one of those times when Luke wished she was around to help him.

And then, like a glowrod turning on in his mind, it was there.

"Dack, drop!" he screamed…but it was too late.

A huge, furry white creature jumped up behind Dack and roared. Dack's frightened tauntaun reared up on its legs and knocked Dack down onto the snow. The monstrous animal, which Luke now saw was one of the wampas that had been rumored to roam the ice plains, slashed its claws through the tauntaun, then turned on Dack. A large paw slammed down on Dack's torso.

Luke jumped from his tauntaun and grabbed the lightsaber from his belt, igniting it with its distinctive _snap-hiss_. The blue blade jumped to life and did exactly as Luke hoped; the wampa turned its attention from Dack and closed in on Luke.

He held his ground, calling on the Force for calm. When the wampa was close enough, Luke swung his lightsaber in a circle but missed his target. The creature's heavy paw hit Luke's arm hard enough to tear the lightsaber hilt from his hand. Luke scrambled toward it but the creature was on top of him in an instant, forcing Luke to dive away from another attack. Then he reached out his arm and _willed _his lightsaber to come to his hand. It twitched at first, then Luke fell into the Force even more, relaxing as much as he could in the life and death situation.

And then the hilt was there, hitting his hand with a satisfying _smack_. Luke didn't even have a chance to grin before the creature was on him again. Luke dodged the attack and ignited his saber, tearing through the creature's arm. Ignoring the agony the creature was projecting through the Force, Luke again reached up to slice his lightsaber through the creature's head. As the wampa's essence faded away, Luke stared at the now-extinguished lightsaber in his hand. He wanted to be a Jedi more than anything, and yet he still hated taking life, even of those who were trying to take his. Luke wondered if other Jedi in the past had felt this way, and, not for the first time, if he was really cut out to be a Jedi.

Dack's moans brought him out of his reverie. His friend had hit the snow hard, knocking him unconscious. The wampa had carved deep gauges on Dack's chest, but thankfully the heavy snow gear seemed to prevent any life-threatening injuries. Not that it mattered; with night coming, they'd both freeze to death if they didn't get inside soon.

Luke didn't bother checking Dack's comlink, expecting it to have broken when Dack hit the ground. He tried his, but it was also dead. Great. Just great. There was no way they could get back to base on one tauntaun. The only thing left to do was find some shelter from the driving snow and howling wind, and use their body heat to stay warm until someone came to rescue them. They were due to arrive back at base in half an hour; maybe in an hour or two, Mara and Avy would start to panic and send someone out looking for them—_if_ they were allowed to go out after the base doors had closed for the evening.

_Mara! _

Luke wanted to smack himself for being so dense. Mara might be able to hear him! They'd spoken to each other before through the Force, usually at close distances…could they do this? Could he really get her to hear him across several kilometers? She'd been able to hear Palpatine's call from anywhere in the galaxy…he could only try.

Reaching out into the Force, he searched for her. At first, he felt nothing except for Dack, lying next to him on the Hoth plains, but soon his awareness stretched. After several moments, there she was, shining as brightly as ever.

_Mara. We need help._

He sensed a spike of alarm, then reassurance, then nothing.

There was nothing more Luke could do. Either she'd heard him, or she hadn't.

But Luke was pretty damn sure that she had.

Smiling to himself, he moved Dack as much as he dared to an overhang of snow, and began to dig out the area to create a shelter.

.

.

.

Han strode through the corridors toward Echo Base's Command Center, his footsteps harsh against the hard, cold floor. He looked at nobody as he passed, focusing only on his next move.

He had carefully planned this meeting with General Rieekan to coincide with a time Leia would be out of the Command Center. He was going to tell Rieekan that he had to leave, and Leia being present would make this entire situation much more difficult than it needed to be.

Han sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had no other choice, not with a bounty on his head and monsters like Fett hunting him. The Alliance was in enough trouble as it was.

And if Leia got injured again…

Thankfully, the only people inside the Command Center were General Rieekan, a communications officer Han didn't know, and Major Derlin. There were examining a holographic map of the surrounding systems, murmuring about Imperial fleet movements. Stepping inside the room, Han cleared his throat.

Rieekan glanced up and nodded in greeting. "Captain Solo. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, General. Um…" He stepped forward and decided it didn't matter if the others listened in. After all, it would be all over the base in seconds anyway. "Listen, I gotta leave. I can't stay anymore."

Rieekan nodded solemnly, as if he had suspected this. Surely both Mara and Leia had included the information about Boba Fett in their official reports, and it was no secret in the Alliance that Han, a former smuggler, had a bounty on his head. "I understand," Rieekan said. "A death mark's not an easy thing to live with. You're a good fighter, Solo. I hate to lose you."

"Thank you, General," Han replied, feeling a surprising twinge of sadness. He'd expected fireworks from Leia once she found out he was leaving, not to mention a lot of guilt trips from Luke and Mara, but hadn't stopped to think about what the rest of the Alliance would say. He didn't expect others to be bothered by his leaving, especially someone like General Rieekan. "I appreciate that a lot."

"If things change, you're always welcome with the Alliance."

"Thank you—" Han paused, his words cut off as a transmission came into the Command Center.

Rieekan held up a hand, then turned up the volume on the comm station. "This is Rieekan."

Han couldn't hear the person on the other end clearly, but judging by the urgency of his voice and the frown forming on Rieekan's face, something bad was going down. Rieekan sighed. "I'll be there in a minute."

"What's going on?" Han asked.

"Lieutenant Jade is making a racket in the hangar."

Han winced. Mara on a rampage was definitely not a pretty sight. "Perhaps I should go talk to her."

Rieekan nodded. "Thank you, Solo."

Several minutes later Han entered the hangar. Mara was on the other side near the T-47s, screaming at the deck officer and seemingly seconds away from punching him in the face. The poor young man stood his ground but looked increasingly frightened and ready to bolt.

"—I don't care about your kriffing authorized flyer list! I'm in Rogue Squadron, and I want to go out in a speeder, _now_!"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Jade, but you are not authorized—"

Mara reached out and grabbed the man by the collar of his jacket. "Now you listen to me, you sniveling little parasite, I don't care what your damn list says. I am authorized to fly those speeders!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Han demanded.

Startled, Mara turned to him. "Connors won't let me fly a speeder."

Gulping, Connors stepped away from Mara's reach. "Lieutenant Jade came in here several minutes ago demanding to use of one of the T-47s, but she is not on the authorized flyers list. As you heard, she disagrees with my assessment."

"May I see that?" Without waiting for an answer, Han snatched the datapad from the Connors' hand. He sighed. "Why ain't she on the list? She's a Rogue."

"The speeders are still being checked out."

"Listen, I don't care about the kriffing list! I need to get out there, _now_!"

"Ensign, could you excuse us for a moment?" Gingerly, Han grabbed Mara's arm and led her away from the prying eyes and ears. Facing his redheaded and red-faced friend, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "What's going on, Mara?"

Mara's eyes darted back and forth, avoiding his gaze. "I gotta use a speeder."

"Why?"

"Luke is in trouble, okay?"

Han took a step back. "What?"

"I got a bad feeling. I want to go make sure he's okay."

Han checked his chrono. "He's not due back for a bit."

"Han, I _know _that something's wrong. Please."

Han raised a brow, wondering how in space Mara was so certain that something was wrong. But his line of thought was interrupted by a snooty voice at his back. "Is there a problem?"

Leia stood there, clad in yet another pristine white jumpsuit, exuding that same aura of superiority that had once made Han want to smack her, and now only made him want to grab her and kiss her senseless. He sighed heavily, his plans to avoid her until he could get out of there smashed into oblivion.

Completely unaware of Han's internal drama, Mara stepped forward and gave Leia a pleading look. "Leia, tell them I can use the speeder. Please!"

"Why?"

"Luke's in trouble."

Leia's eyes widened in fear. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

Mara nodded vigorously. "Dack, too. I need the speeder to go get them. Tauntauns are too slow and won't hold the weight." Her gaze turned to Ensign Connors. "But _someone _is insisting that my name isn't on the authorized flyers list."

Leia snatched the datapad out of Han's hands and set forth toward the now petrified ensign. After making a few jabs at the screen, she handed it back to Connors. "There. She's on the list and free to go."

Mara broke into a relieved grin. "Thanks, Leia."

Leia nodded curtly. "Go find him."

"Hey, wait!" Finding his speech again, Han stepped in between the two women and turned to Mara. "If Luke's in trouble, _I'm _going out to get him."

"Oh yeah? How do you figure?"

"Because, Mara, I'm more trained for these sorts of things."

"What, did the Imperial academy train you for search and rescue in the snow?"

"I don't know, did Intelligence train _you_?"

Mara's eyes flashed. "He's _my _boyfriend, Solo. I'm going."

"No, you're not—"

"Han!" Leia cut off his protest. "Mara's going. End of story."

Something in Leia's expression, and Mara's, gave Han pause. There was something going on between the two of them, but whatever it was, he had no idea. Oh, well. He'd figure it out later. For now, there was no way he was letting Mara go out by herself, even if she was in a speeder.

"Fine," Han replied in a clipped voice. He jabbed a finger at the datapad. "But put me on that list as well. I'm taking the other speeder."

"Han—"

"Two people needing rescue requires two speeders. You can't fit the both of them in the back. And what happens if one of the speeders breaks down?"

Leia glared vibroblades at him, but he knew he had her. "Fine," she ground out. "Mara, he's going with you. End of story."

And having had the last word, she turned and exited the hangar.

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.

.

Huddling in the makeshift shelter, Luke didn't think he could ever be colder. His bones felt as if they'd been frozen, and he was certain that he would never feel warm again—not even after ten hour-long hot sanisteams; not after spending ten hours in a heated bed with Mara's warmth next to him; not even if he moved back to Tatooine for another nineteen years.

He shuddered as another gust of wind blew past the shelter's opening. Luke had done his best to carve out a safe haven, but it was still less than ideal. Reaching over, Luke checked Dack's pulse for the tenth time. It was strong, but Luke knew they had to get him into a bacta tank soon.

Luke sighed and ran his fingers across Dack's nearly frozen face. For two years they'd been wingmates, and it was Luke's responsibility to look out for him. Today Dack had almost been killed, and Luke couldn't help but feel responsible. He should have been more in tune with the Force. If he was stronger, he could have saved Dack from being attacked in the first place. Sometimes, like when he was training with Mara, Luke felt the potential inside of him and truly believed her assertion that he could be as powerful as Vader and Palpatine, yet serving the light. But at other times, like now, Luke had no idea what everyone saw in him. He was supposed to be a Jedi and yet he'd let his friend get hurt.

"Sorry about this, Dack," Luke muttered. "But I promise, when this war is over I'm taking you and Avy and everyone else to Mon Cal. You and Avy can spend all day lying on one of the artificial beaches, while planning out elaborate practical jokes with Wes…it'll be paradise. I promise, Dack."

His friend didn't stir. Luke reached out with the Force, trying to sense the other man's essence. It was there, but very weak. With another heavy sigh, Luke leaned back against the wall of the shelter and closed his eyes. Hopefully, with any luck, Mara would be there soon. He stretched out with the Force again and yes—there she was, shining brightly, a star coming to him.

_Luke._

He smiled, taking comfort in her presence.

"Luke." There it was again, stronger, and definitely _not _inside his head. Luke glanced down at Dack, but he was still out cold.

Then he felt a presence he hadn't felt in two years. He looked up…and saw Ben Kenobi standing in front of him.

"Ben," Luke breathed, unwilling to believe that his mentor was here, in front of him. He was afraid to break the spell and wake up, to find that he was alone again. But Ben was still there, clad in his Jedi robes and looking just as he had the last time Luke saw him on the Death Star. "What are you doing here? _How _are you here?"

"You have come far, young Luke," Ben said, and Luke realized that Ben wasn't corporeal, but shimmering blue, like a ghost. A Force ghost. Did such things exist? Luke had never heard anything about Jedi returning from the dead. Luke had heard Ben's voice several times since the duel with Darth Vader, but had come to believe it was just the Force manifesting itself as his old master. But perhaps he'd been wrong the entire time and it actually _was _Ben Kenobi.

He forced himself not to cry, as the tears would freeze on his face. "I miss you, Ben. There's so much I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing."

"You must believe in yourself, if you are to become a Jedi."

Luke nodded, eager to listen to anything Ben had to say.

"The time has come. You will go to the Dagobah system."

"Dagobah?" Luke had never heard of the place before. "Why?"

"There you will learn from Yoda, a Jedi Master who instructed me."

"A Jedi Master? But I thought there weren't any Jedi left."

"Master Yoda has been in exile, waiting to train his last student—you. The path ahead of you is dark and treacherous, and you must be strong in the Light to face it. And remember, you must believe in yourself. Many others already do. Now, it is your turn."

"I will, Ben. I promise."

Without another word, the ghost faded away, leaving Luke with so many questions. Dagobah system? A Jedi Master? Was Luke ready for this? What would Mara say? Oh, he knew what she would say all right; that he needed to learn everything he could so he could become as powerful as he was meant to be.

But he had a responsibility to the Alliance, and to Rogue Squadron. Could he really leave them? Wedge was more than capable of leadership, but they were _his_ pilots…

But in the end, Luke knew that he would best serve the Alliance by becoming a Jedi, like his father. They needed a Jedi to stand against Vader and the Emperor, and Luke would be that Jedi.

He briefly wondered if Mara would want to train, as well…

And just as he thought her name, he heard the whine of two airspeeders approaching the shelter. Luke smiled, knowing that his rescue had arrived.

A few minutes later, after the noise of the repulsorlifts had died down, Mara stuck her head into the makeshift shelter. Luke was already standing up, ready for her. She grinned at him in relief. "Hey. I'm here to rescue you."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

There was practically a party once Dack was pulled out of the bacta tank. The Rogues swarmed over the medbay, much to the chagrin of the Two-Onebee droid assigned to watch over the two patients. All the Rogues doted on Dack, especially Avy, who refused to leave her boyfriend's lap. Luke's smile as he watched the scene was bittersweet, knowing that his wingman almost hadn't made it…and trying desperately to ignore the voice that whispered _it's your fault._

Mara was smiling, too, although it was more of a smirk; once she learned that Luke and Dack would be okay, she couldn't stop reminding Luke of the fact that she had saved his life. It didn't matter that Luke had once saved hers. In fact, she clarified, this made _two_ times she'd saved his butt, counting the confrontation with the _Executor._ Yeah, she was pretty full of herself…but Luke didn't mind. She was beautiful when she gloated.

Two-Onebee eventually kicked the rest of the Rogues out of the medbay, leaving Luke, Mara, Dack, and Avy alone. Apparently even droids knew better than to ask relieved girlfriends to leave their patients.

The droid also couldn't stop Han Solo from entering the medbay; as co-rescuer, the smuggler claimed, he had as much a right to visit the two pilots as their girlfriends. Luke didn't much understand that bit of Corellian logic, but he didn't mind the company.

That was, until Han explained the _real _reason he stopped by.

He asked to speak to Luke and Mara privately. The three of them moved to the other side of the medbay, far away from Dack and Avy who suddenly couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"At least I know they ain't paying attention," Han grumbled good-naturedly, although his underlining demeanor betrayed his nervousness.

"Spit it out, Solo. What's going on?" Mara demanded.

"Look," Han rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't know how to tell you guys this…"

"You're leaving." It was a statement, not a question, one which Luke issued with absolute calm.

Han didn't even blink. "Yeah. I'm sorry, kid. I gotta go take care of some business."

Luke sighed. "Well, I always knew this was gonna happen sometime."

Mara glanced back and forth between the two men, incredulous. "Wait a minute—you're just gonna let him walk out of here without a fight?"

Luke shrugged. "What else am I supposed to do? Make him stay?"

"Yes!" Mara yelled. Dack and Avy broke apart for a moment before resuming their kissing. Mara lowered her voice, "Yes, dammit. Han, you are making a _huge _mistake. If you leave now, Leia will never forgive you."

"That's the point."

"Is this because she got hurt? If this is because she got hurt I'm gonna kick your ass so hard—"

"Mara!"

She whirled on Luke, green eyes flashing. "_Don't_ interrupt." She turned back to Han. "Now you listen to me. If you're going to let one tiny little blaster wound get in the way of the best thing that has ever happened to you, you are more a fool than I ever imagined."

"Thanks," Han drawled.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, Han—she's crazy about you. You _know_ what it meant to her…don't do this to her now."

Luke, still stung from Mara's harsh reprimand, felt his eyes go wide at her insinuation. He wasn't _that _innocent…and suddenly Luke was pretty sure what happened between Han and Leia on Ord Mantell. And now Han was going to leave her…

Something exploded inside Luke, a protectiveness he never knew existed, and he had to physically restrain himself from punching his friend in the face. Whereas before he begrudgingly accepted Han's decision, now all he wanted was to pummel the man into oblivion for hurting Leia. Mara, sensing Luke's anger, placed a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. "You're leaving her?" Luke growled. "After what you did?"

"Hey! I don't have to explain myself to you."

"No, you don't," Mara interjected. "You don't have to explain yourself to anyone but Leia. You _are_ going to talk to her, right? _Right_?" Mara repeated when Han didn't answer.

"Yeah," he relented. "Yeah, I'll talk to her."

"You better, because if you leave this base without saying good-bye to her I will personally hunt you down and turn you over to Jabba the Hutt."

"Nice, Mara."

"You're damn right!"

"Han," Luke said, finally able to find a sense of calm again. Violence wouldn't solve anything…and Han was still his friend above all. "Why are you doing this? What will this accomplish?"

"Oh c'mon, Luke. Surely you of all people can understand."

Luke sighed heavily and leaned against Mara. Truthfully, while he was protective of Leia and didn't want to see her get hurt, he was also upset that Han was leaving because, well, Han had been his first friend in the Alliance. He'd become his older brother, and Luke honestly didn't know what he would do without him. Sure, he had Wedge to offer Corellian advice, and Wes to make wisecracks, and Mara to distract him in other ways…but none of them were Han.

And Luke would miss him terribly. "Yeah, I understand. I want nothing more than to protect Mara, Leia, my pilots, you, Chewie—_everyone _in the Alliance. But we all joined up for a reason, knowing the risks; Leia more so than any of us. We've all got death marks. And while I can appreciate what you feel for Leia, I can't imagine leaving Mara just to try to keep her safe. I wouldn't give her up for anything."

"You don't understand, Luke."

"Yeah, I do," Luke answered. "More than you know."

Han was silent for a moment. "I gotta go, Luke. I'm sorry."

"Do you love her?"

Han didn't respond, and it was all the answer Luke needed. Holding back a tear, he held out his hand. "May the Force be with you, Han. And thanks again for saving my butt all those times."

Han smiled. "No problem, kid. Maybe I'll see you around before I get the clearance to leave."

"That would be nice."

Han turned to Mara, who was still glowering at him. "I'm sorry, Jade."

Mara held up her chin. "Me too."

With a heavy sigh, Han left the medbay. Luke held Mara close to him as he watched one of his best friends leave—possibly for good.

"I can't believe him," Mara growled.

"I know," Luke said, wanting to be angry for Leia's sake, and his own, but not able to find the strength.

"I really thought he'd stay."

"Me too. I guess the Force has other plans for him."

"Well, he better hope those plans include staying alive for the next five minutes."

Luke gave her a confused look. "Why?"

Mara sighed. "Can't you sense it? Leia's on her way to the medbay."

Luke stretched out into the Force and cringed. "Oh boy."

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Han saw her as he rounded the corner, giving him no chance to turn around and avoid the awkward confrontation that was certain to follow. Steeling himself, he continued walking toward her. Leia drew up to her full height and glared at him. "So, Captain Solo. I heard from General Rieekan."

"Yeah?"

Leia narrowed her eyes. "You're leaving."

"Yup. I am."

"I see."

"Don't worry, Your Worshipfulness, you can get your fill of me for a few more days before they let me leave."

"I had nothing to do with that. General Rieekan doesn't think it's safe for any ships to leave the base until we've activated the energy shield."

"Is that so? Or is it 'cause you can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me slip out of your clutches?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

"Oh, come on. Your feelings for me aren't the reason why I'm stuck here for a few more days?"

"Of course not!"

Han cocked a brow. "Are you sure?"

In another situation he might have laughed, seeing her so steamed. "Why you stuck-up...half-witted...scruffy-looking..._nerfherder_!"

She was fuming now, and Han knew he had her. He just had to push a few more buttons and then she'd never want to see him again, and then he wouldn't feel so horrible about leaving. "See? You never get that angry unless I'm right."

With a huff, Leia pivoted so hard her boot heels made marks in the ice. Satisfied that his work was complete, Han sauntered in his original direction, but stopped when he heard Leia's hopeful voice call out to him again, "I thought you'd decided to stay?"

He turned back to her, trying very hard to keep the emotion off his face. "Yeah, well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."

"I can't believe you. After what happened...you're just gonna leave?"

_Keep your cool, Solo..._ "Yeah. I am."

Leia's chin lifted just a tad. "Were you even going to say good-bye?" She was still angry as all the nine Corellian hells but there was something else in her expression—vulnerability—and it made Han feel awful for doing this. But he had to leave, for her own good, and he didn't want her to miss him. She deserved better, and he needed to make her see that, no matter how much it hurt him to do so.

Thoughts of Bria Tharen swirled through his mind and, boldly, Han stepped closer and ran his fingers down Leia's arm. "What's the matter? Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a good-bye kiss?"

Her gaze turned to stone, and Han knew that he had gone too far. He opened his mouth to apologize but she would have none of it. She grabbed the first passing male she found—who just so happened to be the very confused-looking Wes Janson—and kissed him full on the mouth. Releasing Janson's flight suit with a flourish, Leia straightened up, adjusted her vest, and strode right past Han, who stood slack-jawed in amazement.

Janson remained absolutely still, just as shocked, staring at Leia as she walked away. The pilot's expression turned smug; then he noticed Han, now glaring daggers at him. With a gulp and a jump, Janson hurried back in the direction he came, leaving Han to stand alone in the middle of the hallway with absolutely nowhere to go.

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Luke was released from the medbay later that afternoon. Mara escorted him to his quarters, both of them still reeling from the good-bye with Han. She couldn't believe that Han was actually leaving. After all he and Leia had been through…he was going to give it all up because of a little blaster wound.

Mara certainly understood where Han was coming from. She could have lost Luke and didn't even want to think about living without him. But she'd never leave him because she was scared. What did that accomplish, other than keeping you away from the person you loved?

As they entered Luke's room, Mara sighed to herself. There was that word again. She really needed to talk to Luke about that sometime soon.

If he didn't bring it up first, of course.

Luke settled onto his bunk, still a little shaky from his injuries and the exposure to the cold. Mara helped him get settled, then perched herself next to him on the bunk. "Need anything?"

Luke yawned. "No, thanks. I'm pretty tired. Whatever they gave me knocked me out pretty good."

"I can see that. Want me to leave?"

"No." Luke moved over on the bunk. "I could use some company…"

Mara rolled her eyes. "You _would_ use this as an excuse to get me into bed."

"You wound me."

"No, that was the wampa."

"Cute." Luke pulled her down for a kiss, then flinched and grabbed his side. "Ow. I guess my ribs aren't up for moving that way…"

"Here, lay back." Mara repositioned the pillow under his head and moved his arm to a more comfortable position. "That better?"

"Much."

"Good."

They sat in silence as Luke drifted off to sleep. Mara leaned back next to him, stroking a few stray strands of hair from his face, and fell into a peaceful slumber.

.

It was awhile before Luke woke. He stretched the kinks out of his body, still drowsy from the painkillers. He moved his arm to check his chrono; it was nearing midnight on base. No wonder he woke up; he hadn't eaten a proper meal since before the wampa attack and his stomach was starting to protest.

Luke straightened up and noticed Mara sitting at his computer terminal, with her back to him. He watched her work for a moment, wondering what was holding her rapt attention. She must have sensed him wake because she turned around and gave him a smug smile. "Well, look who's up. I was wondering when your grumbling stomach was going to wake you up. It sounded like a repulsorlift going off in here."

Luke chuckled. "What can I say. A wampa attack takes a lot out of me, I guess."

"It's a good thing I was around to rescue you, huh?"

"Oh, is that how this is going to be?"

"Hell yes."

"You don't have to look so smug, Mara."

She crossed the room and sat down next to him. "Oh yes, I do." Then she kissed him softly on the lips. "You feeling better?"

Luke's eyes were already starting to close as he leaned into her kiss. "Oh yeah." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, careful to avoid putting pressure on his ribs and other body parts that were injured. When she pulled away, he grinned at her. "I should get attacked by a wampa more often."

"Shush. Don't say that. Here, I got you some food." Mara pointed to the box on his bedside table.

"Oh, you are an absolute lifesaver," he exclaimed as he began to devour his leftovers.

"You can say that again."

Luke stuck out his tongue at her, but he was too busy eating to retort. She watched him for a moment before leaning back against the wall and sighing. "Are you upset as I am about Han leaving?"

The shift in Luke's mood was apparent. "Yeah. He's making a huge mistake."

"That much is obvious. I just wish we could knock some sense into him."

"If Chewie couldn't do that, none of us can."

"I feel so horrible for Leia."

"I know. Me, too."

"Why'd you get so defensive back there, anyway?"

Luke shrugged while swallowing another bite of food. "She's my friend—one of my best friends. I just…I dunno. I guess I just feel responsible for her."

"You feel responsible for everyone, Skywalker."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Mara shrugged. "Just making a statement."

Luke finished the rest of his food quickly. He was still slightly hungry, but could wait until morning. He was already starting to feel drowsy again. He took a quick trip to the 'fresher to wash up, then returned to bed. Mara was still sitting there, waiting for him. "Want me to leave?"

He sighed. "Not really…but I _really_ need some sleep."

"No problem." She kissed his forehead. "Sleep well."

"Hey Mara? Can I…I need to talk to you about something first."

.

She tensed slightly, wondering if he had chosen this moment to finally broach the topic they'd been avoiding. She wouldn't put it past him, to declare his love after being rescued by his girlfriend. "Okay," she said hesitantly, getting comfortable on the bunk next to him.

"Um…I really don't know how to say this…"

"Just say it."

"Okay. Well, um…in the shelter, when I was with Dack…I saw a vision."

Mara's head snapped up. That was definitely not what she expected him to say. "You saw a vision?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"…Ben Kenobi."

"Your old teacher?"

"Yes. Only I don't know if it was a vision. I think it really was him."

"How is that even possible? He's dead, Luke."

"I know…but it _felt_ like him. I've told you that sometimes I hear his voice…well, what if Jedi can return from the dead?"

"Wouldn't that be something we'd know about?"

Luke shrugged. "I dunno. I just know what I saw. You believe me, don't you?"

Mara knew that the Force was powerful. When she was younger, she witnessed Palpatine and Darth Vader perform amazing feats. She was taught to respect the Force and use its power, but its more mystical side always eluded her. She'd never had a vision or experienced the kind of clarity that Luke was starting to develop; she just moved objects and excelled at telepathy. This was completely new ground for her.

But then again, she always told Luke how powerful he was, so she believed him, right?

Mara nodded. "Yes. I don't understand, but I believe you."

Luke squeezed her hand. "I don't understand either…but I think that I _can_."

"What do you mean?"

"Ben…he told me that it was time I completed my training."

Mara's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. He told me about a surviving Jedi Master and said I should go train with him. That I needed to learn to be strong with the Force to survive the times ahead. I don't want to leave the Alliance—I _really_ don't want to leave you—but this is what I have to do."

"No, Luke, I completely agree. I'm so glad…you have no idea."

"Really?"

"Yes!" She threw her arms around him as tightly as she dared, considering his injuries. "Oh, you are going to be amazing, Luke…I know it. I just know it."

"I wish I had your confidence."

"Well you need to if you're going to be a Jedi."

"I know. I know…that's what Ben told me."

"Then he's a smart man."

Luke sighed. "This is gonna be really hard."

"It is. But you can do it. I believe in you."

"That means so much to me…" He trailed off, seemingly hesitant.

"What is it, Luke?"

"See? You're good at that. Sensing my moods. It's 'cause you're strong in the Force."

"Nah, I'd be good at it no matter what. That's what girlfriends are for, right?"

Luke allowed himself a small smile. "I guess. But seriously, Mara, I was thinking…would you go with me?"

Mara's eyes widened, and she pulled back slightly from him. "What?"

"Come with me. You should learn to be a Jedi, too."

She paused, wringing her hands together. She hadn't expected this, at all. But she should have. "No. No, I can't go."

Luke couldn't keep the disappointment off his face. "Why not?"

"It's not my place."

"Mara, for the past year you've been helping me hone my skills in the Force. If anyone should be a Jedi, you should."

She shook her head. "Ben Kenobi came to you. You're the one who needs to go."

"Two Jedi are better than one, Mara."

"I'm not a Jedi."

"But you could be."

"No, I couldn't!" She immediately regretted her outburst. She shouldn't make this into a big deal…she didn't need Luke pressing her. She still hated talking about her life in the Empire, and she honestly couldn't explain why learning more about the Force scared her. "Look, Luke…I know what I need to know for now—how to help win the war. You need to learn about the Force from a Jedi Master. And besides, if I was there I'd probably drive you to distraction."

Luke smiled just slightly. "You not being there will be a distraction."

"It better not. You need to learn everything you can and become the Jedi you're supposed to be." Luke started laughing. "What? What's so funny?"

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That's exactly what I'd predicted you'd say."

"So you do pay attention to me after all."

"Sometimes." He hugged her to him. "I wish you'd go."

"I can't, Luke. This is your journey. Maybe when this war is over, you can teach me what you learn."

"Me, teaching you? I don't think that would go very well."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because you're so full of yourself that you'd never listen to me."

"Ha! That's ironic, coming from Rogue Leader."

"Just stating the truth."

She pushed him playfully. "Seriously, Luke. When will you leave?"

"I have no idea. I need to talk to Mon Mothma and General Rieekan first. I don't want to abandon the Alliance without giving them a good reason."

"I'm sure they will be supportive."

"_If _they don't think I'm crazy."

"Well, you can always leave the vision of the dead guy out of your story."

"Good advice. But for now…I think I should stay on base for a bit."

"Why's that?"

Luke's eyes grew distant. "I dunno. But I think we're about to find out."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

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The Super Star Destroyer _Executor_ slipped gracefully through open space, having emerged from lightspeed to rendezvous with several other Destroyers in Death Squadron—the _Devastator, Tyrant, Accuser, Avarice,_ and _Avenger._ Still searching for the hidden Rebel base, the various crew members were examining new data from probe droids in nearby systems. Admiral Piett learned long ago not to get his hopes up whenever they received such information. Every previous check-in had left them empty-handed.

This report was different; Piett noticed it immediately upon reviewing the sensor readings taken from the probe droid sent to the Hoth system, a system that contained absolutely no civilization according to Imperial records. Yet the probe droid's data showed life form readings and indications of a shield generator. It could be smugglers, or an uncharted settlement…but this was the best lead they'd had.

Taking a deep breath, knowing the consequences for failure, Piett turned away from the station to face Lord Vader, striding confidently down the command walkway. "Lord Vader?"

The Sith Lord approached and stood directly in front of Piett, staring menacingly down at him. "You found something?"

"Yes, my lord. The report is only a fragment from a probe droid in the Hoth system, but visuals indicate life readings." Piett leaned forward to broadcast the visual scanning sent back from the droid, which showed the possible shield generator. "This system is supposed to be devoid of human forms."

Vader pointed his finger at the screen. "That's it. The Rebels are there. You have done well, Admiral Piett. Set your course for the Hoth system."

Piett nodded. "Yes, sir." Between the frantic comm calls to the other Star Destroyers and preparing for battle stations, he hardly had time to reflect on the fact that Darth Vader seemed almost…excited.

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The day's shift in the Command Center, like all Leia's shifts during previous few days, was proving uneventful. But that was perfectly fine for her. She needed normalcy. She needed to throw herself into her work. She needed to remind herself that she was a leader of the Rebellion and had no time for personal problems.

She needed to forget that Han Solo ever existed.

But that was impossible with him still hanging around the base. Last night, after seeing Han talking with some vapid blonde in the mess, Leia got the strongest urge to slice into the base's computer system and grant the _Millennium Falcon_ clearance to leave. Only her extreme sense of duty kept her from doing such a thing.

But oh, how she wanted to!

Han had completely broken her heart; he'd snatched it out of her chest and stomped on it for good measure. She'd given herself to him, in every possible way…and all he gave her in return was heartache.

She knew she shouldn't have done it. It was asking for trouble. Men like Han Solo _were_ trouble. It was her fault for thinking he could change. Men like him _never_ changed.

Even knowing all this, she couldn't stop daydreaming about her one night with the smuggler. She was supposed to be working and yet that stupid lopsided smile kept popping into her head. He'd told her that he cared, and she'd believed him. Part of her still did, despite all her better judgment. Which was why his decision to leave hurt so badly.

Oh, what kind of Alliance leader was she? Her father would be so disappointed in her.

General Rieekan's concerned voice finally captured her full attention. "Princess? We have a visitor."

Leia rose and joined the general at the sensor officer's station. "We've picked up something outside the base in Zone Twelve, moving east," Rieekan explained.

Major Derlin, also on duty that shift, peered at the sensor readings. "It's metal."

"Then it couldn't be one of those creatures that attacked Luke and Dack," Leia said, bad feelings starting to prickle in the back of her mind.

The sensor officer raised his hand. "Wait. There's something very weak coming through."

Once the volume was raised, Leia heard it clearly: a coded signal, obviously mechanical in nature. They stood in silence for a moment, pondering the possibilities, until Threepio offered his sage advice. "Princess Leia, as you know I am fluent in six million forms of communication. That signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code."

Rieekan sighed. "We better get Rogue Squadron to check it out."

Half an hour later, Captain Antilles and Lieutenant Senesca were in a speeder, on their way to Zone Twelve. Luke, having received Rieekan's request for reconnaissance assistance, stood over Leia's shoulder in the Command Center, Mara at his side.

_"We see it,"_ Wedge's voice came over the comm. _"It's definitely mechanical. We're moving in to get a closer look."_

_"It's spotted us!"_ Zev cried. _"It's firing!"_

_"Going weapons free!"_ Wedge announced. _"Whoa!"_

"What happened?" Rieekan demanded. "Rogues Two and Three, do you copy?"

_"Yeah, we copy!"_ Wedge answered. _"The thing blew up. It must have had a self destruct. We didn't even hit it."_

"What was it?" Leia asked.

_"Droid of some kind."_

Leia shook her head and spat, "An Imperial probe droid."

_"It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here."_

Luke leaned forward into the comm. "Wedge, Zev, head back to base."

_"Copy that."_

Rieekan sighed and turned to Leia. "Let's round up the command staff. We better start the evacuation."

Leia nodded gravely. As she started punching in comm codes, she noticed that Luke was still standing behind her, while Mara was nowhere to be seen. She raised her eyebrows at him and he shrugged in return. "Figured that since the Rogues are needed in the evacuation, Mara should go round them up."

Leia rolled her eyes, then continued inputting the codes. After several minutes, the other members of Alliance Command had filed into the Command Center.

"What's going on, Carlist?" General Cracken asked.

General Rieekan indicated the station with the probe droid's sensor readings. "Approximately half an hour ago we came across a signal from an unknown source, skulking around the base. We sent a speeder to investigate and the object was determined to be an Imperial probe droid. I've already given word to start the evacuation."

Rieekan turned to Mon Mothma, who was peering intently at the data screen. "Ma'am, I urge you and the rest Alliance Command to take the first transport off base. I will stay behind to oversee the evacuation."

Chief Mothma nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Carlist. Unfortunately, I agree that is our best option."

Almost as if she were on autopilot, Leia found herself stepping forward. "I will stay behind to assist you in the evacuation." Rieekan opened his mouth to protest, but Leia held out her hand. "I'm your second-in-command on base, general. It's my duty to be here."

Rieekan sighed. "You're right, Princess. Everyone else, get to your transports."

At that moment, the ops officer looked up from his station. "General, there's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace in Sector Four."

"Reroute all power to the energy shield," Rieekan responded, crossing to him to peer at the data screen. "We've got to hold them till all transports are away." He glanced to General Madine, who was assigned to stay on base to lead the special forces teams, and Major Derlin. "Prepare for ground assault."

The non-essential personnel cleared out of the Command Center. Luke and Leia both stepped toward General Rieekan, then shared a glance. "What are you up to?" Leia asked.

"I should ask the same of you," Luke responded. "You should get out of here, Leia."

"Why?"

"Because…" Luke trailed off.

"Exactly," Leia said knowingly. "And you?"

"You know the drill. Rogues fly the speeders. That's the way it's been planned since Day One."

Leia stepped close to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. For so long she'd called him her brother… "Luke…you know that your main objective to delay the AT-ATs in any way possible, right? This is a very dangerous mission."

Luke nodded. "I know."

Unable to stop herself, Leia pulled him into a tight hug. Tears sprung to her eyes and she was grateful to be emotional over a decent man. It was a nice change. "Be safe, Luke. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too."

Luke rocked with her and stroked her hair, emotions getting the best of him as well. "The same goes for you, Leia."

After a long moment, the two stepped apart. Not needing to say anything else, Leia took a seat at her station, while Luke exchanged words with General Rieekan before leaving the Command Center to brief the Rogues.

.

Several minutes earlier, Han Solo was approaching the Command Center, having finally had enough of waiting for clearance to leave the base. Han had tried to raise everyone on the comm—Connors, Derlin, Rieekan, even Leia when he was at wits end—but nobody answered. So he decided to take matters into his own hand. Chewie was back at the _Falcon_, ready to take off at a moment's notice.

Han was more than a little surprised to see the majority of Alliance Command file out of the Command Center and pass him by with nary a word. Two seconds later, the base alarm went off and the evacuation code signal began to trill in earnest.

His breath caught in his throat and he turned around, desperately searching for Leia among the group that had just left, hoping that her short stature had caused him to overlook her…but she wasn't there. Then Luke came out of the Command Center, not noticing him because the kid was headed in the opposite direction—

And Han knew what Leia had done.

Sure enough, when he stuck his head into the Command Center, she was sitting at one of the stations, working diligently and giving absolutely no indication of leaving.

Of course she wasn't leaving. Princess Leia Organa would never leave in the middle of a crisis.

With a heavy sigh, he headed back to the _Falcon._She wasn't his problem any longer. And thanks to the evacuation, there was nothing keeping him and Chewie on base any longer.

Nothing at all…

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Vader was inside his meditation chamber, ruminating on the events to come, when Admiral Piett and General Veers interrupted him with news. "What is it?" he asked in clipped tones.

"My lord, the fleet has moved out of lightspeed," Piett answered. "Com-scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."

Vader nodded infinitesimally. Apparently, their plan to surprise the Rebels had been compromised. But unlike his master he did not underestimate the Rebels—especially not when his son was among them—and had planned for such a situation. "They must have detected the probe droid. That is of no matter. We will catch them regardless. Admiral, make ready to land our troops beyond the energy shield and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. General, prepare your troops for a surface attack."

"Yes, my lord." The two officers clicked their heels and left the chamber. After a few moments, Vader followed. He arrived at the bridge and stared out the forward viewports. In front of them was a planet covered in snow. If Vader knew his son well—and he was certain that he did—Skywalker would be staying behind on planet to defend the base. It was what Anakin would have done, at one time. All they needed to do was slip past the defenses long enough to take down the shield…then Vader could claim his prize.

Even at this distance, Vader could sense him.

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It could have been any other briefing Luke had led during his two years as Rogue Leader. They'd gone through evacuations several times. They'd escaped the _Executor _three times now.

And yet somehow, today was different. In a few moments, Luke was going to ask his pilots to risk their lives so that others could safely escape Echo Base.

Every time they went on a mission they risked their lives. By merely being a part of the Alliance, they were marked for death by the Empire. Luke knew this from the day he joined.

But somehow, today was different. This seemed more real, and decidedly dangerous.

Would some of them not come back from this battle?

Would Luke?

Facing his friends, his comrades in arms, Luke went through the evacuation plan without any trace of emotion. "All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports."

From the back of the room, Hobbie piped up, "Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?"

Luke couldn't even laugh at the groans that followed Hobbie's typically pessimistic comment. He merely responded, "The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of the flight path."

Wedge was the first one to point out that the Rogues, according to the plan, wouldn't start off flying escort duty. "But that's not what we'll be doing, is it?"

Luke shook his head. He glanced up and was almost shocked at the intensity of his pilots' expressions. Even Dack, who'd just gotten out of the medbay, looked ready to take on the entire Empire himself. "No. We'll be staying behind to defend the base using the T-47s. There are six ships, twelve spots. This is a purely voluntary assignment. Our goal is to delay the AT-ATs from reaching the shield generator for as long as possible."

"So, we're basically bait," Rade said.

Luke cringed at the word, but couldn't deny it. "Yeah. Like I said, this is a purely voluntary assignment—"

Eleven hands shot up in the air. Luke paused for a moment, unable to continue. To his surprise, it was Kit who spoke up next. "As you can see, boss, we're all willing to take the risk. That's what Rogues do."

"I…I'm glad to hear that," Luke responded, doing his best to choke back tears. He felt Mara's Force presence brush up against his. She smiled at him from her seat in the front row and nodded, urging him to continue.

Luke cleared his throat. "Okay. Okay, so there's twelve of us, which means six pilots and six gunners. Pilots will be me, Zev, Wedge, Hobbie, Rade, and Tycho. Gunners will be Dack with me, Kit with Zev, Wes with Wedge, Kasan with Hobbie, Avy with Rade, and Mara with Tycho. And objections?" Nobody said a word, but Mara's scowl was evident from where she was sitting—she wanted to fly. Luke didn't let himself dwell on that. "Any questions?" Again, there was silence. "Good. Once all but the last few transports are out, we'll rendezvous outside the North Entrance and escort the remaining ships in our X-wings. May the Force be with you, Rogues."

Everyone quickly left the briefing room, mumbling to each other about the mission ahead of them. Mara stalked over to Luke, but he cut off her tirade by putting his arm around her shoulder. "Please, don't," he whispered. "Not right now."

She sighed heavily. "At least explain to me why I'm not flying."

As they took their time sauntering through the hallways, it could have been just a normal day on base. Luke pulled his girlfriend tighter against his side, wishing desperately that it was. "You're a better gunner. It's as simple as that."

"Fine. I believe you."

"Good."

They walked in silence until they reached the hangar, where the noise and chaos of pilots and mechanics running about pulled them back to reality. Across the bay, Luke saw the familiar shape of the _Millennium Falcon._

"I'm surprised he hasn't taken off yet," Mara muttered.

Luke gave her a knowing look. "Are you really?"

Mara shrugged. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"I gotta go say goodbye."

Not waiting for her, but knowing that she would follow, Luke walked toward the old freighter, where Chewie was making some seemingly insignificant repair to the hull. The huge Wookiee stopped what he was doing when the two of them arrived and wuffed a happy hello. "Hey, Chewie," Luke said. "We're about to take off. You take care of yourself, okay?"

Chewie nodded vigorously, then wrapped his arms around Luke, pulling him away from Mara and squeezing him tight. Mara clasped a hand over her mouth, hiding her laughter. "Okay, okay!" Luke exclaimed, clapping Chewie on the shoulder.

Finally releasing Luke, Chewie turned to Mara. "Good-bye, Chewbacca," Mara said, and if Luke was a betting man he'd say that Mara had a tear in her eye. The Wookiee pulled her into another, gentler hug, and growled good-bye.

Just then, Han appeared on the ramp. "Chewie, what's the hold up!" he yelled, stopping as soon as he noticed Mara and Luke. Mara gave Han a curt nod and began to make her way toward the speeders, but Luke stepped forward to the end of the ramp. With the battle ahead, he was long past grudges and blame. He just wanted to say good-bye to his friend.

Han looked down at Luke from the top of the ramp, and odd expression on his face. "Hey, kid. You all right?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

Han shrugged and looked away. "Can't complain." Luke knew it was a complete lie.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "You know Leia's staying through the evacuation, right?"

Han sighed. "Yeah. I heard."

"Just thought you'd want to know." Luke held gazes with his friend for long moments, falling into an awkward silence. He opened his mouth to speak several times, but in the end, there was nothing that needed to be said. He merely nodded and walked away.

And then, just like it had been before the Battle of Yavin, Han's voice called him back. "Be careful."

Luke turned and smiled. "You, too." And then, with one more wave, he bid his friend good-bye.

In hindsight, Luke could only point to the culmination of all the good-byes and the knowledge of the dangerous mission ahead to explain his next action. All he knew that it was a long time in coming—too, too long—and he was done waiting for the right moment.

Ignoring every other person in the hangar, Luke raced forward and grabbed Mara by the arm. "What—" was all she could say before he placed his hand behind her neck and pressed his lips firmly against hers. She resisted at first, as she always did in public, but then relented, melting against him and dropping her helmet to take his face in her hands. They remained that way for a long time, oblivious to the chaos around them and drinking in each other as if it was the last taste they'd ever get.

Because they both knew that it might be.

They pulled apart at the exact same moment, their cheeks red and heated in the cold hangar air. With unexplained confidence, Luke stared into Mara's radiant green eyes and said simply, "I love you."

For a moment, Mara stood completely still, with absolutely no reaction to his words…and then she smiled. "I know you do," she answered softly, her breath tickling his lips.

For Luke, at that moment, it was more than enough. He grinned like an idiot as he kissed her again, sending out all his love and passion through their tenuous bond in the Force, and she did the same.

The catcalls, whistles, and announcements over the loudspeaker finally broke them apart. Luke glanced around to find the members of Rogue Squadron in various stages of battle preparation and cheering on their commanding officer. Wedge was standing behind them, tapping his foot impatiently while pointing to Luke's speeder. Wes and Kasan were pumping their arms in victory from their gunner's seats. Dack and Avy were blowing kisses at each other across the hangar. Hobbie was banging his head against his flight console. Rade was smiling and rolling his eyes. Kit was handing his comm code to the female tech tending to his speeder. Tycho was squeezing his eyes shut while mouthing _I don't need to see this._ Zev was giving Luke the thumbs up sign.

Luke could only laugh.

Mara squeezed his hand, bringing his attention back to her. "Fly safe," she whispered, genuine fear getting the best of her as her voice shook.

Luke nodded. "Shoot straight."

"I will."

Then, with one last kiss, they unclasped hands and ran to their respective snowspeeders.

In mere moments, the battle would begin.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

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The planet Hoth even looked inhospitable from orbit, Captain Needa mused. There was no question of why the Rebels had decided to hide there, although Needa did have to question their sanity a tad.

Then again, he always did so when it came to the Rebels.

The _Avenger_'s captain paced along the command walkway of his Star Destroyer, patiently awaiting the start of the battle. He'd been tasked by Admiral Piett with orders to stop any Rebel ships from escaping the planet below, and he was more than ready to do so. This was exactly where he wanted to be—in the thick of the action, with the opportunity to regain his status in Lord Vader's good graces. It would be easy, with the other four Star Destroyers and the _Executor_ also deployed to keep the Rebels from slipping out of the system.

And when the energy shield was destroyed, Lord Vader would personally land on the planet to see the total destruction of the Rebel base.

As Needa paused at the front of the walkway, contemplating the battle plans, the first officer approached him from behind. "Captain, Rebel ships are coming into our sector."

Needa offered a curt nod. "Good. Our first catch of the day. Deploy the fighters."

"Yes sir."

The sensor officer's concerned yell tore Needa's attention away from the approaching Rebel ships. "Captain! We've detected an ion cannon coming in range!"

"What?" Needa whirled around, fear beginning to creep across his belly. "Raise shields!"

But it was too late. The ion cannon hit with laser-sharp precision, rendering the Destroyer completely disabled. The Rebel transport and its two escort snubfighters slipped past the Imperial screen and jumped to hyperspace.

Needa's heart froze in his chest as he watched the scene unfold. Old training kicked in and brought him back to his senses. "Get our systems back online immediately!" he barked at the first officer. "And coordinate defenses with the other Destroyers!" Without realizing what he was doing, Needa began to wring his hands into fists. They couldn't let any more ships escape.

Not if he wanted to escape this battle alive himself.

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"The first transport is away! The first transport is away!"

As the announcement rang out over Echo Base's comm system, cheers erupted in the Command Center and Leia breathed a sigh of relief. There was still a long ways to go in the evacuation, but the first transport was the most important strategically, as it would carry Alliance Command to the rendezvous point with the rest of the Rebel Fleet. Knowing that Mon Mothma, General Cracken, Chief of Staff Ruk'fey, and the others were safe allowed Leia to breathe a little easier.

Just a little bit, though; her friends were still out there on the battlefield. Her surrogate sister Winter had refused a spot on the first transport, saying her skills were needed in the evacuation. Luke, Mara, Kasan, Avy, and the rest of Rogue Squadron were flying the snowspeeders. Although she wasn't a pilot herself, Leia had grown to call all of the Rogues friends. She didn't know how many of them would make it out alive and had to force herself not to dwell on that fact. She had a job to do.

The _Millennium Falcon_ was also still on base. She didn't know how to feel about that particular fact.

Along with the speeders, Major Derlin's troops were stationed near the power generators to delay the attack, while General Madine's special forces teams were scattered near the entrances in the event of Imperial troops entering the base. Leia didn't know exactly how much longer it would take to evacuate the remainder of the staff, but she hoped that the oncoming assault could be pushed back long enough to get everyone to safety. As for Leia herself, she'd be in the Command Center until the very last minute, making her father proud once again.

Major Derlin reported in from the trenches, his calm voice belying the gravity of the situation. _"This is Echo Station 3-T-8. We've spotted Imperial walkers. Six of them, heading straight toward us."_

Leia cringed. They'd prepared to fight against All Terrain Armored Transports, but still was unnerved by the idea of a mere six speeders fighting off six walkers.

"Copy that," Rieekan responded. "Rogue Leader, launch when you are ready."

_"Affirmative,"_ Luke's voice echoed through the Command Center's speakers. He sounded so calm, so in control of his emotions…Leia suppressed a smile, thinking of how far Luke had come as a leader in the Alliance. He continued to question himself all the time, but she honestly didn't know why. He certainly sounded more in control than she felt at that moment. She was proud of him.

_"Rogue Squadron launching now," _he announced.

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Luke settled into his speeder, ready for the battle ahead. Dack was already seated and ready to go. "How're you feeling, Dack?" Luke asked. He hadn't had much time to talk to his wingman since the wampa attack and felt a tad guilty about that. Dack didn't seem to mind, though, as he'd spend most of his time being tended to by Avy.

"Just like new, boss."

"You sure you're all right to fly?"

"Well it's a bit too late to change my mind now. Plus, all I gotta do is sit here and look pretty."

"Good luck with that," Luke teased lightly. He closed the cockpit over the two of them, then followed his tech's instructions and began take-off procedures.

Thanks to simulator runs and testing out the cold conversion, Luke was more than familiar with the controls of a T-47. Normally used for cargo hauling, Starfighter Command had decided to convert the speeder into a patrol and combat craft. On Hoth, however, the T-47s had become their base line of defense against an Imperial assault.

Luke could tell that all of the gunners were a bit uneasy with the idea of not having control over their own craft. Every pilot hated being a passenger, Luke included. He'd done his fair share of cringing and grimacing when flying with Han in the _Falcon._

Thankfully, the Rogues were perfect teammates and Luke had full confidence in each of the pairs he'd designated. He'd spent several nights fretting over the assignments, once it became clear that they'd only have six speeders to use in the base's defense. Mara had told him that he was thinking too hard, and that had been one of the only times they'd come close to having a fight. He wouldn't back down and insisted that this was his job, and if he didn't spend too much time thinking about it, someone would get hurt.

As the snowspeeders rose from the ground with surprising grace, Luke put all thoughts out of his mind and maneuvered out of the hangar. Keeping low to the ground, the six speeders passed the troops in the trenches and sped toward the oncoming Imperial walkers.

"Echo Station 5-7, we're on our way," Luke announced. The oncoming walkers were still far away from the troops and the base. Luke hoped that their lumbering speed would make it possible for the Rogues to delay the assault long enough to complete the evacuation.

Luke felt the familiar calm of battle fall over himself. "All right, boys and girls, keep tight now," he told his pilots. He could see Hobbie's speeder on his wing, the two other pairs slightly behind in formation.

As they closed in on the walkers, Luke heard Dack's voice in both his ear and his comlink. "Luke, I have no approach vector! I'm not set!"

Luke gritted his teeth. The speeders hadn't been functional very long, and thanks to his injury, Dack hadn't had time to practice in the real thing. But now was not the time to panic.

"Steady, Dack. We're using attack pattern delta. Going now!" Signaling to the other Rogues, Luke peeled out and headed straight toward the oncoming walkers, only to veer off at the last moment. The other speeders did the same, each going in a different direction, confusing the walker's gunners who were unable to track the small speeders. Luke peeled around and came in over the back of the walker's head, safely out of range of their guns. "I'm going in!"

Dack complied and laser fire rained down on the AT-AT. Nothing happened. Luke checked his sensors and saw that the other Rogues were having the same problems. "Rogue Four, you still with me?"

_"Right here, boss," _Hobbie replied.

"Let's go in together. Is your gunner set?"

_"Ready!"_ Kasan announced.

"On my mark…three, two, one—mark!"

In perfect synchronization, Luke and Hobbie pulled their speeders in a tight circle and came head-on at the Imperial walker. Dack's and Kasan's shots were on target, yet did little damage to the walker. Luke cringed. "That armor's too strong for blasters!" They needed to enact a new strategy.

"Rogues, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs; it might be the only chance of stopping them."

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Standing over twenty meters tall and measuring twenty meters in length, the All Terrain Armored Transport contained the full might of the Imperial army. Filled to the brim with troops, speeders, and weapons, the walkers invoked fear in everyone who stood against them.

General Maximillian Veers stood in the cockpit of the commanding walker, behind the gunner and pilot, agilely directing the hulking transport toward the power generators. Veers had been tasked with bringing down the energy shield and allowing Lord Vader to land, and he would do so. He'd come into Lord Vader's favor after the Battle of Yavin and had been promoted to commander of Death Squadron's ground troops.

The enemy's snowspeeders were fast and nimble, but they were no match for the forces of General Veers. His squadron of AT-ATs was called the Thundering Herd, and for good reason—they left no survivors in their wake. Today would be like any other.

Veers smiled as the gunner picked off one of the offending Rebel speeders. It crashed into the snow with a satisfying explosion.

His AT-AT continued lumbering forward, his eyes solely on the power generators at the far end of the ice plain.

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Wedge suppressed a gasp as one of the snowspeeders exploded against the pristine snow. He'd been flying long enough to know that nobody would walk away from that crash. Checking his sensors, he saw that it had been Rogue Two's speeder.

Zev and Kit—both of them gone in a second.

Wedge knew that some of the other Rogues had experienced run-ins with Kit since he'd joined the squadron, but Wedge always appreciated his professionalism in battle. He was arrogant, but he was an excellent pilot and never acted brash in combat.

And Zev…Zev had been there from the very beginning. He was the oldest, the wisest, and the best of them all. He rarely spoke, but when he did, everyone listened.

Wedge had flown at Yavin. He knew what it was like to lose his comrades. He'd blamed himself for Biggs' death for months. But he'd been spoiled since joining the Rogues; with the exception of Zurel Darillian's deception, they'd never lost a pilot. Luck and the Force always seemed to be on their side, even when facing down Darth Vader.

Now Wedge realized that this battle was going to be very different from the others. Luke hadn't been kidding. They were bait for the Empire.

Well, Wedge would do everything in his power to be the most annoying bait the Empire had ever had to deal with.

Setting his jaw, reminding himself that there would be time to grieve later, Wedge set a course for the closest walker. "Leader, I'm going in."

_"I'll cover for you."_

Wedge pushed his flightstick forward, diving toward the ground. Luke approached from behind, drawing the walker's fire. "All right, Wes, activate harpoon," Wedge ordered.

"Activating harpoon!" Wes returned, his voice shaky but determined.

They came in at just the right angle… "Fire!"

As they moved, Wedge saw that the harpoon had made a direct hit. He grinned; Luke had certainly made the right decision to put Wes on gunnery duty. "Good shot, Wes!"

"As I always tell the ladies, I aim to please."

They got around the walker the first time without any problems. "One more pass…" Wedge whispered to himself, silently praying that this would work. "We're coming around Luke, watch it!"

_"Copy that!"_

The speeder finished its second pass and Wedge cried out, "Detach cable!"

It took Wes less than a second to respond. "Cable detached!"

Wedge took off at full speed and barely managed to turn around to see the walker stop, flounder, and then crash to the ground in a heap. "Whoa! That got 'em!" he yelled, unable to keep the exuberance out of his voice. Somewhere, he hoped Zev and Kit were watching them and smiling.

_"I see it, Wedge. Good work. Rogues, follow Three's lead and let's get these walkers down!"_

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Han paced around the _Falcon_'s cockpit with absolutely no idea what to do. He'd been granted clearance to leave and should have taken off with the third group of transports. But they'd long gone and he was still there.

Chewie growled from the co-pilot's chair, asking for instructions for the seventh time. Han shrugged. "I dunno." The Wookiee snarled knowingly. Han sighed, placing his head in his hands.

No, that was _not _the reason why they hadn't left yet.

Just then, an explosion rocked the base, forcing Han to grab onto the bulkhead to keep steady. Chewbacca roared, pointing out the obvious. "Yeah, I know, I know, they're getting closer." They should get out of there, now.

_"You know Leia's staying through the evacuation, right? ... Just thought you'd want to know."_

Han growled and slammed his fist against the back of the captain's chair. Damn that kid…damn that kid _and_ his Alliance!

"I'll be back," Han yelled over his shoulder as he took off toward the ramp. When Chewie called after him, Han added, "Get ready for takeoff! I'm getting the Princess!"

As Han hurried through the base's shaking corridors, he could only reflect on the fact that Chewbacca's final roar had seemed to say _I-told-you-so._

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Mara hadn't wanted to be a gunner. She couldn't deny that. She'd felt a twinge of betrayal when Luke had announced she'd be Tycho's gunner, but his explanation had placated any brewing anger. Now, sitting in the gunner's chair, she had to remind herself that Luke had made his decision with the best interest of the entire squadron in mind. He was right; she was a better gunner than pilot.

Still, she didn't have to like it.

Her fingers never left her trigger as her speeder flew past the downed walker. Without enemy fire to worry about, she fired with pinpoint precision at the weak point directly above the neck. The walker exploded in a bright ball of orange flame. Mara sat back in the seat with a satisfied grin. One walker down, five to go, and they were still far enough away from the power generators for the rest of the ground crew to evacuate safely.

But she wouldn't allow herself to get too confident. They'd already lost Zev and Kit, two more pilots than they'd ever lost in battle. Shaking her head, Mara called over her shoulder, "We're not gonna let those fools be the only one to take down a walker, are we? Wedge will be insufferable!"

She could almost hear Tycho smile in return. "Hell no. Eight, you with me?"

Rade's voice filled her headset. _"Right behind you, Nine."_

"Get your gunner set; we're going in for the walker at point oh-five. Cover for us."

_"Copy!"_

Tycho gunned the throttle and they took off toward the nearest AT-AT. If she had to serve as anyone's gunner, she was glad it was Tycho. It always amused her that Tycho continuously ranked third in their simulation runs. Had Tycho been placed in another squadron, or if he'd remained in the Empire, he'd be commanding his own unit by now. And yet with the Rogues he couldn't even make second best. It was nothing against Tycho's flying—he was absolutely incredible, as Mara was learning first-hand this battle—but testament to the skill of Luke and Wedge.

Sometimes she wondered why Wedge and Tycho wouldn't agree to Starfighter Command's request to take command of their own squadrons. Now, flying in battle again, it wasn't that hard to understand.

They were Rogues, all of them, standing together through thick and thin.

"Mara, you ready?"

She blinked, bringing her focus back to the battle. "Ready, Tycho."

"Okay, we're going in."

Steadily he lowered their altitude, pulling close to the walker. Mara stretched out with the Force, not waiting for Tycho's order, and pressed the trigger. Her harpoon latched onto the AT-AT's leg and she smiled. "We got it!"

"Great job, Mara. We're coming around."

She held her finger over the controls, shoulders hunched over in anticipation as they made the first, then second pass. Finally they cleared the harpoon. "Let it go!" Tycho commanded.

"Detached!"

They were pulling away before she even finished speaking, following closely behind Rade and Avy. As the walker fumbled, Rade's speeder flew in to fire the kill shot. "That's two down, Leader," Mara announced.

_"Great job, Rogues! Let's get the rest of these walkers down." _

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It wasn't the most daunting odds Luke had ever faced in battle, but he still couldn't shake his nerves. They'd lost Zev, their anchor, and Kit, a promising young pilot. Luke hadn't been anywhere close to their speeder when it was blown out of the sky. But that didn't matter, not to him. He was Rogue Leader and he was responsible for every one of his pilots.

Still raining fire down on the oncoming AT-ATs, Luke idly listened to the comm chatter as Tycho and Mara attacked another walker. They brought it down with style and Luke suppressed a grin at Mara's call over the comm. He could picture her brilliant smile, both smug and proud, in his mind. He remembered their good-bye before the battle and her reaction to his words. It had been more than he'd ever imagined...

Luke mentally slapped himself. He couldn't think about such things right now. He brought his full attention back to battle. "Hey Dack, I think it's our turn to take down one of these walkers. What do you say?"

"I think that's a great idea, commander! Just point me in the right direction. In the meantime I'll just sit here and look pretty."

Luke grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you will, Dack—"

A prickling feeling went up the back of Luke's neck, just as it had prior to the wampa attack. Luke jerked the flightstick hard to the right, but it was too late. The AT-AT's laser fire slammed into them from behind. The speeder shook violently and Luke struggled to retain control. Sparks fired in the cockpit and systems began to short out. "Rogues, we're hit!" he cried. "I gotta ditch! Dack, brace yourself!"

With as much skill as he could muster, Luke crashed the T-47 into the show. It was anything but graceful but they landed without exploding, and that was the important thing. Luke gritted his teeth through the pain as the he was jostled back and forth in the cockpit. He popped the canopy and reached for Dack's hand. They had to get out of there immediately. "Come on, Dack! Let's go; I'll help you out!"

There was no answer.

"Dack?" Luke shook his friend's shoulder. "C'mon, Dack, we gotta get out of here."

Still no answer.

Luke prayed that Dack was just unconscious, but somehow the Force told him differently.

Hesitantly, deathly afraid of what he was about to find, Luke leaned over the gunner's seat to check on the young pilot. Dack wasn't moving.

He wasn't breathing, either.

Luke's own breath caught in his throat as he screamed, "Dack? _Dack!_"


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

He was gone. Dack Ralter, Luke's wingman for two years…dead.

This couldn't be happening. Dack had just recovered from a wampa attack. He had survived. He was a survivor. He was supposed to survive this war and go on to do all the things that young kids are supposed to do.

Luke was supposed to take him to Mon Cal.

And now, he was dead.

Luke leaned over the gunner's seat for a long time, staring at Dack's lifeless face. How could he have let this happen? He was supposed to be a better pilot than this.

_"Luke! Luke, are you okay? Luke! Answer me!"_

It was Mara's voice, coming out of the short-range comm built into his flightsuit, sounding frantic. Taking a deep breath, Luke opened up a line to Tycho's speeder. "I'm okay," he said, his voice cracking just a bit, indicating that while he was uninjured, all was not well.

He could hear Mara's sigh of relief. _"Stay where you are. We'll come get you!"_

"Negative," Luke ordered. Things were going too badly. He cringed as another speeder crashed nearby, and wondered morbidly who was inside. "Get to the X-wings."

_"Like hell we will!" _

_"Luke,"_ Tycho's calm voice cut in, _"we're all right. We can pick you up."_

"No. Go to the X-wings and get the hell out of here. That's an order." Setting his jaw in determination, Luke switched off the comm. He wouldn't let anyone else die because of him.

Luke grabbed a bag full of concussion grenades and a harpoon gun, then popped the canopy. Another walker was heading his way, and Luke had a plan.

He dove out of the cockpit and braced himself as the huge walker lumbered beside him. Grimacing, he watched as its front left leg smashed onto the airspeeder, crushing it into oblivion.

With singular purpose, Luke aimed the harpoon gun at the belly of the walker. It attached and he reeled himself in. As he glanced down at the snow below him, he couldn't help but smile. _This is almost as bad as some of the stunts we pulled back at Beggar's Canyon,_he thought ruefully. In another lifetime, it would have been enjoyable.

Now, it was justice for a friend.

Swinging precariously, Luke took hold of his lightsaber. The blue blade flashed into existence and Luke swung it upwards into the underside of the AT-AT. Several satisfying sparks later, he'd reached his aim. Luke snatched a grenade and lobbed it inside the walker.

There wasn't anything left to do but jump, so he released the gun and fell almost twenty meters into the snow. He didn't have time to feel any pain; he jumped up, stumbled a few meters, and then dove for cover as the walker exploded over his head.

_That was for you, Dack._

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"I'm going to kill him! I swear to the gods, if he doesn't get himself killed, I am personally going to stab him through the heart with his lightsaber!"

"Calm down, Mara. This is Luke we're talking about. He'll be fine."

"Please, you know how he is. We gotta help him, Tycho!"

"You heard his orders."

"Kriff his orders!"

"I can't disobey a direct order."

"He can write me up for insubordination, then. I don't care!"

"Mara—"

"Dammit Tycho, what would you do if that were Winter in the speeder?"

Mara almost expected another automatic protest that he and Winter were just friends, but instead Tycho sighed. "Okay, Mara. But you owe me one."

"No, Luke owes you one. Let's go!"

Tycho pulled the speeder around at breakneck speed. Mara peered at the ground, trying to spot Luke's distinctive orange flight suit. "I can't see him! Where did he go?"

"Um…Mara…you might not want to look at this…"

"What?" she replied absently…and then she saw him. "What…what the hell is he doing!"

"It looks like he's hanging from the underside of an AT-AT," Tycho replied, unable to keep the dry sarcasm out of his voice.

"Oh, you're lucky we're sitting back to back because otherwise I'd punch you so hard—"

"Whoa! Look!"

Mara's own jaw dropped open as an orange blur fell from the walker into the snow. Her eyes locked onto Luke and she almost didn't see the explosion above him. "Did he…did he just take down a walker by himself?" she cried incredulously.

"He certainly did."

"Oh, I am so going to kill him!"

"If that's the case, we could just leave him there. It would save you the effort."

"Shut up and hurry, Tycho!"

Mara could almost hear Tycho's grin as he set the speeder down a few meters away from Luke.

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Luke wasn't surprised when one of the T-47s set down a few meters from him. He was even less surprised when the canopy opened and Mara stood up in the gunner's seat. "Get the hell in the speeder, now!" she barked.

"I told you to get back to the X-wings," he protested, even as he jogged toward the speeder.

"Well I didn't listen to you."

"There's not enough space for me back there."

"We'll make space. Just get in the kriffing speeder!"

Luke sighed and climbed into the cockpit. Tycho gave him an apologetic grimace. "Sorry, boss. I had no choice."

"I know. There's not much of a choice when Mara threatens you bodily harm."

By that time Luke had already maneuvered so he was hunched over in the gunner's chair. Mara smacked him so hard that he fell down into the seat, then strapped him in and sat down on his lap. "Let's go, Tycho!" she ordered.

"As you wish, ma'am."

Finally safe inside the speeder, the gravity of the past several minutes began to take its toll on Luke. He had to force himself not to start shaking and reached into the Force for calm. He felt softness against his cheek, and looked up. Mara's face was centimeters from his, her hand caressing his face. "Don't do that to me again. I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"I am, too," she replied, kissing him gently.

There was a burst of noise from the comm. _"Nine, this is Three. Nine, do you copy?"_

"I copy, Three," Tycho replied. "We're on our way."

_"We're already there. Have you seen Leader anywhere? He's not here yet."_

Tycho coughed. "As a matter of fact, he's sitting in my gunner's seat right now."

_"What?"_ Wedge's voice sounded confused. _"Where's Mara?"_

"Sitting on his lap."

Despite everything, Luke couldn't suppress his grin. Then Wes responded, _"Wow. I didn't know he was into that sort of thing."_Luke's grin developed into full-blown chuckles and Mara began shaking with laughter against him.

Luke leaned forward to activate the gunner's comm. "Watch it, or I'll write you up for insubordination," he teased. "Wedge, is anyone else there?"

_"We brought Avy with us. Rade didn't make it."_

Luke sighed. Mara grimaced and glanced over Luke's shoulder at Tycho. The three of them had defected from the Empire together. Now, there were only two of them left.

"What about Hobbie and Kasan?" Luke asked tentatively, afraid of the answer.

_"They were injured when their speeder crashed but got out on a transport,"_ Wedge answered. _"They should be fine after a dip into bacta."_

_"And you know how much Hobbie likes his bacta!"_ Wes chimed in.

"Yeah," Luke said ruefully, knowing that if Wes was in such good spirits, he must not have figured out about Dack.

Or maybe he had, and he just didn't want to deal with it.

Either way, Luke decided not to say anything just yet.

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General Veers flinched just barely as another walker was taken down, but did not allow that to shake his confidence. The power generators were in range now, and there weren't any speeders left to try and stop them.

He looked down to regard the small hologram of Darth Vader projected from his station. "Has your objective been reached yet, general?" he rumbled.

"Yes, Lord Vader. I have reached the main power generators. The shield will be down in moments. You may start your landing."

With a nod, the connection was severed, and Veers adjusted the targeting computer. He had already informed the rest of the Thundering Herd that he would be the one to complete the main objective.

And he was. He depressed the trigger, and seconds later the power generators were awash in a brilliant explosion. The Rebel troopers were in full retreat now, heading toward their transports in a last-ditch effort to escape the Empire.

The stormtroopers known as Blizzard Force began to disembark from the AT-AT and engage the Rebel soldiers. Soon, they'd breach the base. Soon, Lord Vader would arrive. Soon, the Rebels would be destroyed.

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Han burst into the Command Center, expecting to see it bustling with activity. He was surprised to see only a few people there, Leia and Ensign Connors being two of them.

"I don't think we can protect two transports at once," the ensign was saying.

"It's risky, but we can't hold out much longer. We have no choice." Leia turned to the remaining communications officer on duty. "Evacuate remaining ground staff."

Han picked his way through the rubble. "Hey, you all right?"

Leia's head turned sharply at his voice. "Why are you still here?"

"I heard the Command Center'd been hit," he lied.

"You've got your clearance to leave." Leia bustled around the stations, monitoring the battle outside even as explosions began to rock the base.

"Don't worry, I'll leave," Han said, making his way toward her. "But first I'm gonna get you to your ship."

Threepio appeared behind the Princess. "Your Highness, we must take this last transport! It's our only hope."

Han rolled his eyes. Of course his good deed for the day would get him stuck with Threepio.

Leia shook her head, and spoke into the comm, "Send all troops to Sector Twelve to the south slope to defend the fighters."

There was another explosion, much louder this time. In the midst of the chaos, a voice could be heard announcing, "Imperial troops have entered the base!"

Shaking his head, Han grabbed Leia's arm and forced her to look at him. "Come on, that's it."

Leia sighed and turned to Ensign Connors. "Give the evacuation code signal," she ordered.

Han began to pull her away, but she managed to give one last order. "And get to your transports!"

They rushed out of the Command Center at record speed, Threepio hot on their heels. "Wait for me!" the droid cried. "Oh, I hope Red and Artoo are okay. They are so brave to be in the thick of battle!"

Han ignored the droid. "Where's your transport?"

"North entrance," Leia answered, still avoiding his gaze at all costs.

"Where'd Rieekan go? Why were you alone there?"

"I wasn't alone," Leia said, annoyed. "Rieekan went to make sure all the transports got out."

"And you decided to stay in the Command Center, the place the Imps will go when they get inside the base?"

"If you have something to say, Captain Solo, just say it!"

Han gritted his teeth. Now was not the time. "Not at all, Princess. Just lead the way."

They were making good time to the hangar when another explosion hit and the ceiling above them caved in. Leia screamed and fell to the side, and Han dove on top of her unconsciously, thinking only of her protection. Leia instantly threw him off and began to furrow through the new barrier.

But Han knew that they were trapped. By the time they got through all the ice, the Imps would already be there. He flicked on his comm. "Transport, this is Solo. You better take off, I can't get to you. I'll get the Princess out on the _Falcon_."

"There is no way in hell that I'm leaving this base on your ship!"

"Then you ain't leaving this base, sister."

She continued to try to push her way through the ice. "Just leave. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself—"

"Leia! You can yell at me later. Let's go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her back in the direction of the _Falcon_. Surprisingly, she shut up and let him guide her.

"Where are you going? Come back!" Threepio called. Leia kept glancing back toward the droid, wanting to make sure he was still with them. All Han knew was that if that damn droid got them captured by the Empire, he'd personally dismantle the golden monstrosity himself.

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Twelve X-wings were stationed outside the base. Six of them would remain at Echo Base, unmanned as a result of casualties of war.

Luke shook his head as Tycho landed the T-47. The battle had been a disaster. He could only hope that the majority of the base staff had gotten out okay.

Avy and Wes were already in their X-wings, ready to launch. Both of them looked morose, without their typical cheerful smiles. Luke's heart ached just looking at them.

Wedge approached the speeder and clapped Tycho on the back. "Good to see you, boss," he said to Luke. "Mara."

Luke nodded. "Have you heard anything from Command staff?"

"Imperial troops are in the base. Leia just ordered the evacuation of the remaining ground staff. I think most everyone else is out."

Luke cringed. "Okay. You guys go, escort the last transports."

Wedge nodded. "Good luck, boss."

"You too."

Wedge and Tycho headed to their X-wings, leaving Luke and Mara alone. Red and Artoo were already settled into the droid sockets of Luke and Mara's X-wings. They beeped loudly trying to get their masters' attention, and whined when Luke and Mara turned their attention to each other.

"What are you doing?" Mara asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Luke replied a little too casually.

"Yeah, whatever, Skywalker. I saw the look on your face when Wedge said Leia was still inside."

"Mara—"

"Luke, you already did one job. Your next one is to escort the transports. Remember?"

"But she's still inside—"

"And Leia knows exactly what she's doing. She'll get out. Don't worry."

Luke shook his head. "How can you be so sure?"

"It comes from all that time spent around you. Your optimism has rubbed off on me. Now come on, let's get out of here."

"Okay," Luke sighed. He gave Mara a hug, then climbed into his X-wing. "Doing okay, Artoo?" The droid responded with a rather annoyed-sounding tweet. Luke sighed, then began take-off procedures.

As his X-wing soared into the atmosphere, he saw the familiar shape of the _Millennium Falcon_ fly out of the Rebel base. He smiled, grateful that Han had gotten out okay. And considering how long it had taken the smuggler to leave the base, Luke could only hope that Han had taken his hint and made sure Leia got out okay as well.

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Several abrupt turns and closed doors later, Han, Leia, and Threepio entered the hangar that was now entirely empty except for the _Millennium Falcon_. Chewbacca was pacing at the bottom of the entrance ramp, tossing a hydrospanner around in impatience. He roared when he saw the group and waved them toward the ship, before racing up the ramp.

Han grabbed Leia's hand tighter—he hadn't let go during their entire trip to the hangar, and she hadn't let go, either. Before entering the ship, Leia glanced over her shoulder. Han followed her gaze and groaned. Threepio was still halfway across the hangar, lumbering slowly toward the _Falcon_. "Wait for me!" the droid cried.

Han suppressed a growl. "Hurry up, Goldenrod, or you're gonna be a permanent resident!"

"I'm coming!"

Han left Leia at the ramp and ran toward the cockpit, where Chewbacca was already prepared to take off. After several very long moments Leia burst inside. "Go!"

Without looking back at her, Han lifted the _Falcon_ into the air and shot gracefully out of the hangar. Han barely noticed the Imperial troops, accompanied by an imposing black figure, firing on them.

"You sure this piece of junk is going to get us past that blockade?" Leia asked, the tone of her voice indicating that she didn't think such an idea was possible.

"This ship has got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart. She ain't let me down yet."

"That's reassuring," Leia said dryly.

Han threw a harsh glance over his shoulder. "It should be. Would you rather be back at the base?"

Leia held his glare. The ship shuddered, and her lips curled into a smirk. "I don't know. Ask me again in a few minutes."

Han shook his head at her and turned back to the viewport. They were almost out of the atmosphere and would soon be going up against the Imperial fleet blockade. Han trusted the _Falcon _with his life…and now he was entrusting his precious ship with Leia's life, too.

Han mentally groaned, wondering how he'd once again taken responsibility for Leia's well-being. Despite his misgivings, he was intensely relieved that he'd gotten her out in the first place.

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The rundown freighter slipped out of the hangar, even the heaviest of ground guns unable to keep the ship grounded. Vader grimaced under his helmet at the ship that had been a thorn in his side over the past two years. Three times it had escaped his grasp.

This time would be different.

Vader abruptly returned to the icy corridors that made up the Rebel base. His son was nowhere to be found, not inside the base or in the battle outside. Judging by his son's diminished presence in the Force, Vader could only conclude that his son had already evacuated.

Before he could fly into a rage at another failed opportunity, the Force had led Vader to this hangar. He'd arrived the find the damned _Millennium Falcon _ready for take-off, and his spirits had brightened as he formulated a new plan. His son was too attached to this ship, and capturing it and its passengers would force his son to arrange a rescue.

This time, Vader would be ready for him.

Almost halfway through the base, Vader caught up with General Veers, who had entered the base with his men. "Lord Vader, we have detained all remaining ground staff. We await your orders."

"Very good, general," Vader offered, a rare moment of praise. "A Corellian freighter has just launched, identification _Millennium Falcon_. Contact Captain Needa and inform him that he is to detain the ship at all costs. I will see to the final destruction of this base and then rejoin the _Executor _to join the pursuit of the freighter."

"Yes, my lord."

Vader strode through the base to the Command Center, where the Rebel prisoners were being held. Perhaps one of them would have information about his son or the location of the Rebel fleet. There were many of them, mostly young men who were unfortunate enough to still be on base when the Imperials invaded.

Vader almost felt sorry for them.

He peered intently at each of the men, trying to determine which one would be best to interrogate. They all had weak minds, but there was one man in particular who captured Vader's attention. He sat in the front of the group, sporting the rank bars of an ensign. He wore a fearful expression and refused to meet Vader's gaze.

The Sith Lord smiled underneath his helmet.

Yes. This boy would be useful.

"The ensign," Vader noted to the closest Imperial officer. "He comes with us. The rest…you may dispose of."

The spike of fear from the ensign and the rest of the Rebels was evident through the Force, and Vader reveled in it. He marched toward his shuttle, anxious to return to his flagship and pummel the Rebel base into oblivion. Then he would capture the _Millennium Falcon_, and his son would come willingly into his clutches.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

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Lord Vader's orders came through like all the others, but Captain Needa understood the urgency behind the Dark Lord's request. Thanks to the Rebel's use of the ion cannon, many of their ships had managed to slip through the Imperial blockade and escape the system. The _Avenger_'s systems had recently come back online, and the Star Destroyer was now tasked with stopping the freighter _Millennium Falcon_ at all costs. Even though Admiral Piett was the ranking officer in the fleet while Lord Vader remained groundside, Needa had essentially been given full responsibility for accomplishing this task.

And Needa would do so. He had failed in his task at Derra IV, and he would not fail again. Not when Darth Vader himself had personally given him his new orders.

Needa stood in place on the bridge, observing as the old, beat-up freighter eluded the pursuing TIE fighters. The pilot was good—very good. Needa granted him that.

He turned to his first officer. "Launch another squadron. They will tire of running soon."

"Yes, sir," the officer complied.

Needa turned back to the viewport and smiled. With the Star Destroyers firmly in place, the fighters buzzing around, and the asteroid field on the other side of the planet, the freighter had absolutely nowhere to run.

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Since that fateful sabacc game, there had been several times when Han Solo wished he'd never gained ownership of the _Millennium Falcon,_ mostly when something broke on the ship or he found himself trapped by yet another blockade. But Han loved his ship, sometimes even more than life itself, and he was never truly serious when he wished he'd never met the girl.

Except for now, on his fourth time going head-to-head with the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_.

Not to mention the other five Star Destroyers that were making it impossible to leave the system.

"So much for the ion cannons," Han muttered as he pulled the ship into another dive. "And where the hell are our fighters?"

Leia spoke up from the seat behind him. "They were ordered to leave as soon as they got clear of the blockade."

"Oh, that's just great." Han didn't have the chance to come up with a better retort. Between the Star Destroyers and the TIE fighter screen, they were lucky to still be in one piece.

But Han knew they'd get out of this. They had to. That was what Han Solo did—get out of impossible situations. And besides, he had practice escaping the _Executor_. Lots of practice.

That had to count for something, right?

Han shook his head in disgust. They were sitting ducks out here, unable to get through the fighter screen or past the blockading Star Destroyers. Yeah, Han was a good pilot, but even he didn't think he could keep this fancy flying up forever. Not to mention they didn't even have anyone to get on the guns. With all his attention placed on flying, he needed Chewie to monitor the systems and there was no way he was letting Leia lay her hands on his guns. And Threepio…

Han was trying to ignore Threepio as much as possible.

"Captain Solo, there is another fighter squadron approaching from point oh seven!" the golden droid exclaimed.

"Thanks for the notice, Professor," Han growled. It didn't really matter if there was another squadron for them to tangle with. What difference did it make, fighting against twelve or twenty-four TIE fighters? Han was surprised there weren't more of them out there.

To Han's surprise, Leia hadn't said much since they left Hoth's atmosphere. He expected some smart-mouth remarks about the condition of his ship, or his flying skills, or the impossibility of escaping such overwhelming odds. But she hadn't said anything of the sort. Instead she seemed almost…calm. Han could only surmise that she was still in battle mode, fresh from the evacuation of Echo Base.

Or, perhaps she was so angry with him that she didn't even care to speak to him.

Whatever the reason, Han was grateful for the peace and quiet while he tried to save all their lives.

"Han," she said suddenly, "dive port."

"What?" He turned to her, incredulous, while still managing to keep an eye on his flying. "What're you talking about?"

"Just look," Leia insisted, not bothering to explain.

Oh, yeah, she really didn't care to talk to him at all. Too bad for her, as she had no choice while they were all stuck in the same ship.

"Would you care to explain yourself, Your Worshipfulness? I've kinda got my hands full over here."

"And your brain, too, no doubt," Leia muttered. "There's a break in the fighter screen. You can get through it if you go fast."

"Oh yeah," Han murmured, all negative thoughts thrown from his mind. "Nice catch."

"Whatever. It won't make a difference if you can't get through it."

Han didn't bother throwing a glare in her direction. "Watch this." And then he dove, pushing the inertial compensators as far as they could go. He could hear Threepio's protests in the background but paid him no mind. They were gonna get out of here. They were gonna make it.

And then what?

Finally, they were through, and all that was left in front of the _Falcon_ was open space. "A-ha!" he cheered. "Punch it, Chewie!"

His co-pilot pushed the hyperspace lever forward…and nothing happened.

For a moment, there was absolute silence. Then they all came back to life as a laser blast made a direct hit on the aft of the ship. "Kriff!" Han yelled.

"Your hyperdrive isn't working?" Leia asked incredulously.

"It was working fine!" Han protested. "What the hell's wrong, Chewie?"

The Wookiee howled furiously, explaining that the horizontal boosters were out. Han both groaned and heaved a sigh of relief at the same time. They wouldn't be able to go to hyperspace until it was fixed. But the important part was that this problem could be fixed without completely replacing the hyperdrive or having to acquire any spare parts. They could still escape.

If they could find a safe place to fix the hyperdrive.

There was only one thing left to do. It was crazy, but then again Han had done his fair share of crazy things over the past two years. One more stunt wouldn't hurt.

"Everybody, strap in," he warned.

"What are you doing?" Leia demanded. Apparently she had decided to talk to him again.

Great.

"We gotta find a place to hide while we fix the hyperdrive."

"And where exactly do you propose we do so?"

"You'll see." Han didn't bother to explain. He just headed directly into the Hoth asteroid field.

It took only a few moments before Leia, along with Chewie and Threepio, realized what he was doing. "You're not actually going into an asteroid field?" she exclaimed. Chewie growled his agreement with her assessment of his plan.

"Why not? They'd be crazy to follow us."

"Sir, I must tell you that the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one!" Threepio cried.

"And I must tell you—never tell me the odds!" Han retorted.

As he got further into the asteroid field, he began to wonder if maybe they were correct. This wasn't exactly easy flying.

But despite being in a life or death situation, Han had to admit that he was almost enjoying himself. He'd missed flying like this. He'd flown TIEs in the Empire and man, were they fast. Not as good an all around ship as an X-wing, of course—not that he'd admit it to Luke—but he had loved flying them anyways.

"There, Chewie," Han said suddenly. "Move in closer to one of the big ones."

"Closer? Are you absolutely insane?" Leia scoffed.

"You should know the answer to that already, sweetheart. And yeah, closer. We need a place to hide."

"Inside an asteroid?"

"You got a better idea?"

Leia shook her head, but shut up as the _Falcon_ dove inside a cave in one of the larger asteroids. "See? This'll do real nice," Han murmured, mostly to try to convince himself that this actually was a good idea. The tunnel was long, and they travelled about a klick until Han landed softly and powered down the ship.

Han rose from his chair and exited the cockpit. The others followed closely behind him. "What now?" Leia demanded.

Han made his way to the cargo hold and began taking out numerous tools. "Now, we fix the ship."

"Are you sure you know how to do this?"

"Fix the _Falcon_? You think I don't know how to fix my own ship?"

"Oh. Right. You've probably had to make lots of repairs over the years."

Han scowled at her. "You sure have a funny way of showing your appreciation, Princess."

"You're the one who insisted on taking me. I'd've been fine back at the base."

"Sure. You'd be in Darth Vader's clutches again. I bet that'd be real fun."

Leia's eyes flashed, and she left in a huff, heading toward the converted hold that was still decorated as her personal quarters. "What was that all about?" Han asked Chewbacca. The Wookiee roared in response. "Oh, right." She probably didn't want to think about the last time she'd been in Vader's clutches. He was almost disgusted at himself for making a joke like that, but decided not to let it bother him. He had other things to worry about right now, like fixing the ship.

And, if he was honest with himself, he cared less about escaping the Empire than he did proving Leia wrong. He _would _get her back to the fleet.

And then he'd be as good as gone.

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Leia spent the first hour of waiting trying to write up a report about the evacuation. She spent the second hour pacing her small quarters, trying not to worry about Luke and the others and whether or not they got back to the rendezvous. During the third hour, she gave up trying to wait patiently and went to find Captain Solo.

He was buried inside the hyperdrive. Chewbacca was sitting behind him, growling instructions, while Threepio was plugged into the ship's computer, running diagnostics. Every so often one of Han's hands would appear out of nowhere, brandishing some sort of tool, and Chewbacca would replace it with another tool.

Judging from the mess around the hyperdrive, Leia could only assume that it was nowhere close to being fixed. "I thought you knew how to fix this thing?"

Han jumped at the sound of her voice and banged his head against something inside the hyperdrive. He let out a vicious curse and peered out of the machinery, glaring vibroblades at her. "If you haven't come to offer your mechanical services, you'd do best to leave. I'm not in the mood."

"I'd like to know when you estimate repairs will be completed," Leia responded in her most diplomatic of tones. She would not let him get the best of her. It would accomplish nothing. All she was concerned about was getting back to the fleet as soon as possible.

Her stomach turned as she thought about those who'd already arrived at the rendezvous, especially Luke. Would he be worried about her, when he saw that she hadn't yet arrived? Of course he would be. He'd be a nervous wreck, just like she was when they'd last met up with the _Executor_ and the X-wings had returned to _Home One_ an hour after the _Falcon_. For not the first time, Leia considered getting on the comm and attempting to contact the Alliance fleet. But she knew that would be foolhardy, especially with the Empire still pursuing them.

Han regarded her carefully, his brown eyes narrowing almost as if he could read her mind. "Fixing the hyperdrive isn't a simple process, Princess. Would you rather we make a mistake and blow up the ship when we try to make a jump?"

Leia rolled her eyes. It was hard to remain neutral when he was completely infuriating. "Not at all, Captain. I'm just eager to get back to the fleet, is all."

"I'm sure you are," Han muttered. "It's too bad you don't have that Force thing. You could let Luke know we're stuck here."

"Very funny."

Han shrugged and turned to Chewbacca. "What do you say, pal? How much longer?"

Chewie wuffed a few times and pointed to various components of the hyperdrive.

"I dunno, maybe another hour," Han suggested. "Maybe two."

Leia's eyebrows shot up. "Really? That's all?" She glanced around again; it certainly did not seem like they were that close to finishing the repairs. Then again, she didn't know much about hyperdrives.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll get you back to the fleet."

Leia nodded, and she glanced down at her hands, that were unconsciously wringing together. She stopped her nervous gesture and nodded again, this time looking him straight in the eye. "Thank you, Captain."

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Chewie was right, and it only took another hour to fix the hyperdrive. After that, all that was left to do was have Threepio run the final diagnostics. Han had to make a decision—either stay and listen to Threepio, or escape to the rest of the ship and risk running into Leia.

"Captain Solo, you have done fine work fixing the hyperdrive, but I must suggest that you consider replacing the entire system soon if you want to avoid any other costly repairs…"

The droid kept babbling and the decision became easy. Han patted Threepio's arm in the approximation of a friendly gesture. "Sure, whatever you say, Goldenrod. Keep up the good work."

He left and headed toward the cockpit, the least likely place where Leia would be. And, of course, that was exactly where he found her, sitting in the captain's chair and studying the controls.

Well. This was interesting.

Han should've turned around and walked away, but curiosity got the best of him. He leaned against the doorway and cleared his throat. Leia jumped with surprise. "Oh. Captain. I'm sorry. I'll just be leaving."

He held out his hand, but didn't say a word as he stepped inside. Leia refused to meet his gaze, continuing to study the control panels as if they were the most fascinating things in the universe.

Sighing, Han collapsed into Chewbacca's usual chair. She wasn't gonna budge. He could just leave, and avoid an uncomfortable situation…but what would be the fun in that? Besides, being so close to her again—alone—brought out feelings that he had tried very hard to suppress over the past weeks.

Intellectually, he knew why he was leaving. He didn't want her to get hurt. He kept remembering the last relationship he'd been in, with Bria, and what had happened to her. He didn't know if he could survive something horrible happening to Leia. It was selfish, that he'd break Leia's heart to make himself feel better, but he couldn't help it.

But gods, she looked beautiful and he couldn't resist stirring the nest a bit.

"So what're you doing in here?" he asked casually.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Nothing. Why?"

"This is my cockpit. I should know why you're inside."

"Does there have to be a specific reason?"

"With you? There's always a specific reason for everything."

She stared blankly at him for a moment, and Han thought that she might—just might—crack a smile. But of course she didn't. "Fine. Watching you fix the hyperdrive made me realize that I don't know as much about starships as I thought I did. I figured I might as well familiarize myself, since I spend a lot of time on ships and all."

"Ah."

She cocked a brow. "Ah? That's all you're gonna say?"

"What else should I say?"

She met his gaze for a moment, just briefly, then turned away back to the console. "Nothing, I guess."

"It's a smart idea," he allowed. "Not that I'd expect anything less from you."

Her face flushed, and she turned even further away from him.

"You coulda just asked me to show you around."

"Oh, right," she scoffed. "Why would I want to spend any additional time with you than necessary, when you've made your intentions to leave quite clear?"

Her words cut like a knife, but she had every right to say them. "All right. I deserved that."

That brought her attention around to him. "You're damn right you did." Her words were not malicious, only regretful.

He scrubbed his face with his hands. "Listen, Leia…" She turned away from him again and he cringed. When he next spoke, his voice was lower, and more compassionate. "Leia. I just wanna tell you that…that I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah."

"What for, Captain?"

Oh, great. She was gonna make him say it, just to make him feel worse. Well, he probably deserved that, too.

"I'm sorry for leaving."

"Technically, you never left."

Well, that was true. Maybe there was a way out of this after all.

But as she continued speaking, it became clear that there wasn't. "But that doesn't matter," Leia said sharply. "You were going to leave, and still have every intention of doing so. What happened between us obviously did not matter to you at all."

"It does matter, Leia—"

"I gave everything to you, and you threw it back in my face. I finally let my guard down, allowed myself to be happy after Alderaan, and to believe that it was possible for me to be a leader in the Alliance and still be normal." She laughed at herself, and it was not a joyous sound at all. "How naïve of me. I should've known better."

"Leia—"

"But none of that is your fault at all, Captain. It's my fault. You never pretended to be someone you're not. I knew full well that you'd leave once you got the opportunity. And yet somehow I thought that I'd make you want to stay. That you'd change. I told myself you wouldn't. But I ended up hoping anyway."

He didn't bother to interrupt her that time. He let her keep talking, to say what she needed to say. It was the least he could do.

Finally she calmed down, but remained facing away from him. She wiped her eyes angrily. "Gods I'm so stupid," she muttered.

"Hey. Don't say that."

"Why not?"

"You're not stupid. You're the smartest woman I know."

"And yet you believe I can't take care of myself."

"Look, Leia, I got a death mark on my head. There's no reason for me to hang around the Alliance and put you into more trouble than you already have."

"Exactly! Don't you get it? Do you really think your death mark is going to make that much of a difference? I've been on the Empire's most wanted list far longer than you have, Han. Luke has been Number One for a year and you don't see him trying to get away from everyone! He escorts me on missions, for gods' sake!"

"What do you want me to do, sit around and watch while you get hurt?"

Leia shook her head incredulously. "Forget it. There's no use." She jumped up and tried to leave the cockpit but Han stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Look, Leia. I just want to apologize."

She stared up at him, her big brown eyes seemingly endless. "Yes, you already did that. Now let me through."

Something about their closeness made him bolder than usual. He shouldn't do this...he knew he shouldn't...

Aw, kriff it. "You didn't say please."

Her eyes flashed and she growled low in her throat, reaching out to push him away. But even with all her self-defense training, she had no hope of actually overpowering him even if she wanted to.

Realizing he wouldn't budge, she stilled in his grasp and averted her gaze. Holding her like this again, he couldn't resist. It was impossible. He bent down and kissed her.

Han wouldn't have been surprised if she slugged him right then and there. But she didn't. She leaned into the kiss, instinct getting the best of her. Their arms wrapped around each other, their bodies pressed against each other. She moaned softly and inside, he rejoiced, although a nagging voice told him that this was too good to be true.

And after only a few moments, he realized that the nagging voice wasn't part of his imagination. "Sir," Threepio exclaimed, "sir, I've completed the diagnostics! We are ready to depart!"

The kiss ended as quickly as it began. Han suppressed a snarl. His eyes remained closed and he felt Leia slip from his grasp to leave the cockpit. "Thank you," he bit out to the droid he now wanted to kill more than ever. "Thank you very much."

"Oh, you're quite welcome, Captain!"

Chewie entered the cockpit, letting out a curious growl. Han waved a hand. "Nothing. Let's just get the hell out of here and get the Princess back to the fleet."

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"Captain!" The first officer of the _Avenger_ came running up the command walkway, coming to a halt directly before him. "We've spotted the _Millennium Falcon_!"

Captain Needa allowed himself a sigh of relief. For the past several hours, ever since the Corellian freighter had entered the asteroid field, he'd been at wits end trying to locate the errant ship. He could not allow it to escape. The sensors had indicated that the ship hadn't gone to hyperspace, so there was still a chance of finding it. They just needed to be persistent.

And now fate seemed to be smiling upon him. "Launch all fighters!" Needa ordered. He would not allow these Rebels slip through his clutches this time.

He watched the battle from the bridge dispassionately. The freighter was still evading the TIEs, but they would soon be blocked in, with nowhere to go. "Activate the tractor beam. Pull back the fighters."

"Yes, sir."

But then the unthinkable happened—the _Millennium Falcon_ slipped through a fighter screen…and disappeared.

Needa felt his eyes widen. "What happened! Track the freighter!"

"Sir…" The navigation officer swallowed hard after studying his data readouts. "Sir, the _Millennium Falcon _no longer appears on our scopes. It has gone to hyperspace."

Needa stared out the viewport, thoughts swirling around his mind. This was his failure. He'd been charged with capturing the ship.

"Get a shuttle ready," he told his first officer. "I shall assume full responsibility for losing them, and apologize to Lord Vader. You have control of the bridge, Commander."

As he boarded the shuttle that would take him to the _Executor_, Needa could only hope that Lord Vader would appreciate him taking responsibility, and give him another opportunity to redeem himself.

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Vader glanced down at the sorry excuse for a Star Destroyer captain. "Apology accepted, Captain Needa," he rumbled, allowing himself a rare, genuine smile at his sarcasm. He rarely had the opportunity to show that side of himself anymore.

Then again, Vader had never been one for humor. That had been…

Shaking his head, he gave one last glance at the deceased captain, indicated for his body to be removed, then left the bridge. He needed to meditate, and ruminate on this latest failure. It had been Needa's blunder, but if Vader knew his master well—and over the past twenty years, he had learned more than he cared to ever know about his master—Palpatine would surely punish him for this failure as well. And despite the overwhelming victory at Hoth, this _was _a failure. All Palpatine cared about was gaining possession of Skywalker and Jade.

And all Vader cared about was finding his son, and making things the way they were supposed to be. The way _he _wanted them.

It was time to rethink his strategies.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

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Leia spent the remainder of the flight back to _Home One_ in complete solitude. Thankfully, Han didn't make any overtures to gain her attention during the trip, finally accepting the fact that she had no desire to talk to him after her indiscretion in the cockpit. She only emerged from her cabin when the _Millennium Falcon_'s systems powered down, and it was time to leave the ship and report to Alliance Command.

Thanking Chewbacca for his assistance, but not paying Han any mind, Leia exited the ship with Threepio in tow. She wanted to find Luke, to let him know that she was okay, but General Rieekan brought her directly to _Home One_'s main briefing room. Mon Mothma was already there, along with the rest of the Command staff. After cursory greetings, Leia took a seat and listened to General Rieekan's report on the evacuation.

"We lost five transports, four cargo ships, thirteen X-wings, and ten Y-wings. Six hundred men and women are still unaccounted for. I've already transmitted a list of those declared missing in action. Those who do not arrive at the rendezvous within the next few days will be assumed to be killed in action."

"Thank you, General Rieekan," Mon Mothma said. "For the time being, I believe that Alliance Command should remain stationed on _Home One._ We have lost too much materiel and personnel to try to establish a new base."

"I agree, ma'am," General Cracken stated. "With Vader's continued pursuit of our forces, it will be better to remain on the run."

The rest of the Command staff agreed. While many of them, including Leia, preferred to remain groundside, it was too dangerous now. As the Alliance continued to gain strength, Darth Vader became more eager to destroy them. Remaining mobile was the best way to avoid the Empire.

After some more discussion, the meeting broke up and General Rieekan pulled Leia aside. "Thank you for your assistance in the battle, Princess. I couldn't have done it without you."

She flushed slightly. "Thank you, general. I'm only saddened that more of us couldn't have escaped."

"Yes. Speaking of, do you know where Captain Solo was headed? I'd like to thank him for getting you back to the fleet."

"Um…no, no sir," Leia stuttered. "I don't know where he is."

"No problem. I'll find him. Would you mind typing up a report on the evacuation?"

"Not at all, sir." But she did mind, although she'd never disobey a request from Alliance Command. She didn't want to think about the evacuation, and all the men and women who didn't return to the fleet. She didn't want to think about how close she'd come to being captured by Darth Vader again.

She didn't want to think about her complete lapse of judgment when she'd allowed Han Solo to kiss her again. She didn't want to think about how good it felt. She didn't want to think about how much she missed him.

She didn't want to think about anything at all.

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It took Han several hours before he finally tracked Leia down in the officer's mess hall. He would have found her sooner, but he kept getting distracted, first by Luke, then Mara, then General Rieekan, all who kept trying to convince Han to stay with the Alliance. The general must've thought that the promise of a commission would change his mind, but Han still wasn't convinced.

That kiss in the _Falcon_…now that had almost convinced him to change his mind.

Han had to say good-bye to her before leaving. He also had to make sure that he was making the right decision. He'd been so sure of himself…and then he'd kissed her again, and now he couldn't stop hearing Luke and Mara's arguments in his head.

Technically, Han didn't have clearance to dine in the officer's mess, but then again he'd never been one for technicalities. Within seconds he'd pried the door open. He spotted her sitting by herself in the corner of the mess, absently pushing food around her plate.

Taking a deep breath, Han approached her table. She glanced up sharply at him. "Hey," he mumbled. "This seat taken?"

She eyed him warily. "No. But I won't be staying long."

He took a seat. "That's fine. What I have to say won't take long."

"Good."

Yeah, she still had no intentions of making this easy for him. But he supposed he still deserved all her ire.

Instead of jumping in and apologizing right off again, Han decided it would be best to first ask her how she was doing. He'd given his fair share of advice about women to Luke over the past few years. Maybe it was time to start taking his own advice. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said automatically. "Glad to be back at the fleet."

She was still avoiding her feelings. He needed to draw her out of her shell. "Right. So, that was some action back there, huh?"

Her eyes widened in shock, before realizing that he was referring to their escape, and not the kiss in the cockpit. "Right," she drawled. "If you want to call it that."

"Come on. You can't deny that it felt nice, getting the best of the Empire again."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Leia's fists slammed against the table, making him jump. She glared vibroblades at him. "We didn't 'get the best' of the Empire, Han. We lost a lot of good men and women back there. Six hundred of them."

"Yeah, of course, I know that—"

"Do you know how devastated Luke is?" she continued. "He lost four pilots in the battle. One of them was his wingman. Did you even bother to ask him about that?"

Han had no response. He hadn't even thought to ask Luke how he was doing. The kid had seemed distant, but that was to be expected. Han didn't realize that Luke had lost his first pilots, ever. Four of them, in one battle.

"But of course, all you're concerned with is that you got out okay, and got to do some fancy flying in the process." She rolled her eyes. "You really are something."

"Hey," Han protested, "I did care about other people getting out. Maybe you've forgotten, but I went back to make sure _you_ got out okay."

"Yeah, to make yourself feel better after acting like a complete and utter scoundrel."

Han was quiet for a long moment. "You know that's not true."

Leia shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Leia—"

"Look, I've got a lot of things on my mind. I can't keep having this same argument with you. Not anymore. So if you have something to say, just say it, so I can get on with my life in peace."

"Okay," Han agreed. "I'm sorry."

"You've said that before."

"I know…but I mean it. I'm really sorry, Leia. I think—"

"It's okay," she cut him off.

"What?" He hadn't expected her to be so accepting of his apology, not after the way she'd acted before.

"It's okay. You were right."

Han had never been so disappointed to hear those words. "I was?"

"Yeah. I thought about it a lot. We're obviously too different for things to ever work out between us. You did us both a favor by deciding to leave."

"I did?"

"It'll save us both a lot of heartache in the long run."

Han sighed and snatched a piece of flatbread off Leia's plate. "Yeah. Well. It's a good thing we agree."

"Yes."

So, that was that. "Well…I guess I'll leave you alone now."

"Okay." She glanced down at her plate, completely uninterested in continuing the conversation.

But Han still had more to say. He couldn't let it end like this. "Maybe I'll see you around."

She gave him a curious look. "Oh?"

"I need business. You guys are pretty steady work. And I'm already on the Empire's hit list." He shrugged.

"Right," she said sardonically. "Of course. Well, good luck with your smuggling business, Captain Solo."

"Good luck with your Rebellion business, Princess." They shook hands, then Han begrudgingly rose from the table. After a few steps, he glanced over his shoulder at the woman who'd unintentionally stolen his heart. "I guess I'll be seeing you, then," he called.

"We'll see," she replied, not meeting his eye…but he couldn't miss that her lip curled into the barest of smiles.

Han grinned and strutted out of the mess.

_Oh yeah. I still got it._

_._

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_.  
><em>

"Zev, Dack, Kit, Rade: you were Rogues, in every meaning of the word. We loved you, and we will miss you. Your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Luke's voice shook, and he swallowed hard, forcing himself not to cry. He couldn't break down, not when Avy was already sobbing hysterically, not when the typically irreverent Wes was wiping tears from his eyes. Even tough-as-nails Kasan had to lean against Wedge for support, and not just because she was still recovering from her injuries.

Luke was Rogue Leader, and now his leadership was needed most.

The eight surviving Rogues were gathered in the pilots' lounge, holding a memorial service for their fallen comrades. Luke had spent several hours writing next of kin letters, both as a cathartic exercise but also to gather some ideas of what to say about his friends.

When Luke took command of the Rogues, he knew that one day he'd be called upon to do this. It was the duty of all commanding officers. But he grew complacent over the years, when they got out of every battle unscathed, and he'd begun to think that the Rogues were invincible.

It took four deaths—and his own near-death experience—for Luke to truly understand the horrors of war.

Luke raised a glass, and the others did the same. "To our brothers."

"To our brothers," the others repeated. They all drank and, after a few moments, filtered out of the lounge, off to grieve in their own ways, before taking up the fight again.

Mara sidled up to Luke and slipped her arm through his. "That was really nice."

"Thanks. I don't think anything I could've said would have truly explained their sacrifice, though."

"Probably not. But it doesn't really matter. It's the thought that counts."

"I guess." He sighed. "Avy's not doing well."

"No. But I'm more worried about Wes. I've never seen him so…"

"Normal?" Luke suggested.

"Yeah," Mara replied without smiling. "He hasn't cracked a joke since we arrived. It's scary."

"I never thought I'd miss Wes's pranks, but you're right. What are we gonna do about it?"

"What can we do," Mara asked, "other than be there for them? And speaking of that—how are _you _holding up?"

He sighed. "I'm okay."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Seriously, Mara. I'll be okay. I just…it's really…"

She squeezed his hand. "I know."

They arrived at Mara's room, and Luke kissed her good-bye in the hallway. "Hey," she said. "Good luck talking to Mon Mothma."

"Thanks," he responded. On the trip to the rendezvous, he decided that he needed to go to Dagobah to start his training right away. The Battle of Hoth had convinced him that the sooner he trained, the better. Luke would go no matter what Alliance Command said, but he still wanted to get permission before leaving. Mara thought he was being ridiculous, because the Alliance would surely benefit from his training, but Luke wanted to do things the right way.

Mara's eyes twinkled. "Go get 'em, Jedi."

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"Well, Commander Skywalker," Mon Mothma stated, "I have to say I'm concerned about how you learned of this Jedi Master's whereabouts. And I'm not looking forward to your prolonged absence. You're one of our best commanding officers."

"Thank you, ma'am," Luke replied, suddenly feeling nervous. He glanced at Leia, who was sitting on the other side of the table next to Mon Mothma, and she gave him an encouraging smile. She hadn't said a word since Luke had arrived and explained why needed a leave of absence to train as a Jedi, but he could sense her approval and support and it meant the world to him.

Chief Mothma smiled warmly at him. "However, I respect your commitment to the Rebellion, and your desire to gain permission before doing this shows your maturity. Of course I will approve your request, Commander Skywalker. I wish you the best of luck in your training."

Luke sighed in relief. "Thank you, ma'am. I've already informed Captain Antilles of my intentions and he agreed to lead the Rogues in my absence."

"Of course. I will transmit your clearance immediately. You will be able to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, ma'am." He stood up, saluted, and remained in place as the Commander in Chief shook his hand and glided out of the room.

Leia followed her, pausing to give Luke a hug. "Good luck," she smiled, "or should I say 'may the Force be with you?'"

He smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Leia. I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"I can. Comm me before you leave, okay?"

"I will." After another hug, they went their separate ways. Luke returned to his quarters, where he wasn't surprised to find Mara sitting on his bunk, waiting for him. She sat up expectantly. "So?" she asked, gazing up at him with sparkling eyes.

Luke stared at his feet, shifting awkwardly. "Well…"

Mara's expression immediately fell. "Oh, Luke. They said no?"

He suppressed a smile, unable to resist pulling her leg. "Well—"

"I can't believe this!" she cried, jumping from the bed in indignation. "You've been a commander for two years and they can't even give you a leave of absence to train as a Jedi? You're doing this for the Alliance!"

"Mara—"

She pushed him out of the way. "That's it, I'm gonna go give them a piece of my mind!"

"Mara!" Luke grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "They said yes."

"What? They said yes?" Luke nodded. "They said yes! Yes!" Mara cheered and threw her arms around his neck, practically squeezing the life out of him, but he didn't mind. "Not that you wouldn't go anyway, but still. This is great!"

"Yeah," he murmured against her hair. He knew that this was his proper path—to become a Jedi—but he was not looking forward to being away from Mara for so long. But it was what he had to do.

"So, um, I guess I should get packed," Luke said begrudgingly. "They said I could leave first thing tomorrow."

"Oh, right." Mara's arms dropped awkwardly from his neck. "I gotta go meet with Cracken anyway."

"See you at dinner?"

"I wouldn't miss it." And as Luke watched her retreat through his door, knowing that tomorrow he would be gone…he suddenly realized that Mara was much more than just his girlfriend. She was his best friend. She gave him strength. He wanted to spend every moment with her.

For the rest of his life.

He couldn't resist. He called out to her, impulsiveness getting the best of him, but he knew this was right. "Mara, will you marry me?"

She stopped dead in the doorway and, for a moment, Luke worried that she wouldn't speak. But then she slowly stepped back into the room, shutting the door behind her. Her expression was wrought with fear and doubt. "What did you say?"

Luke stepped forward and took her hands in his. There was no going back now. Not that he wanted to. "I love you, Mara. I want to be with you forever. Marry me. Please."

She stared at him blankly for long moments, then let out a laugh as she comprehended his request. "You're insane," she scoffed, pulling away from him slightly, but Luke still retained his hold on her right hand.

"I'm not insane. I love you."

"This is crazy, Luke! We're way too young to get married. And we've only been dating a year!"

"So?"

"So? _So! _This is ridiculous, that's what's 'so!'" she said again, pulling away completely, hugging her arms around her chest.

"No it's not, Mara. This is right. I can feel it."

"You're just doing this because of the battle, and because you're leaving tomorrow. This isn't what you really want."

"Yes it is. I'm more certain of this than anything ever in my life." He bent down on one knee, as he'd seen men do in holofilms. He didn't have a ring, but that could be changed later. He took her hand and kissed it gently. "I want to be with you, Mara Jade," he said solemnly. "Forever."

"I…" She trailed off, glancing back and forth between his hand, his mouth, his eyes, and back to his hand. "I…"

He squeezed her hand, encouraging her to answer…

"I gotta go," she blurted out.

And then she turned around and ran away.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

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"This seat taken?"

Luke glanced up from his table in the mess, where he'd been trying to force himself to eat breakfast, to no avail. He nodded at Leia, who sat down and stared pointedly at his uneaten meal. "Not hungry," he explained.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked without missing a beat.

That was certainly a loaded question. After many long hours, Mara was still nowhere to be found. She'd been avoiding him since she rushed out of his room, and Luke eventually admitted defeat and stopped trying to find her, leaving her to her own devices. It killed him to do so, but she'd seek him out if she changed her mind. He could only hope that she would do so. He was scheduled to leave in a few short hours and hoped he'd get the chance to say good-bye.

"Luke?"

He glanced up and met Leia's piercing brown eyes. For a moment, he was startled at the compassion and perception he recognized there. He and Leia had always been close, but now he felt as if she could truly understand him, almost as if she could read his thoughts. The idea was both disconcerting and comforting.

"It's Mara," Luke answered quietly. "I messed up. Big time."

"What happened?"

"I…I did something stupid," Luke responded, hoping Leia wouldn't press for more information, but of course she did. "I…proposed to her." He cringed; the words sounded so stupid now that he'd said them out loud.

He kept his head down for a moment, afraid of Leia's reaction. When he did look up, her expression was carefully neutral, although he could sense her amusement through the Force. "You proposed to her?" she repeated in a diplomatic tone.

"Yes. And I know. You don't have to say it."

"Say what?"

"How stupid it was."

"I wasn't going to say that at all."

"Right, Leia."

"Seriously, I wasn't."

He paused for a moment, sensing her honesty. "Okay. But you want to laugh anyway."

"Can you blame me? That is kind of…sudden…don't you think?"

"I said it was stupid. It's just…I knew I was gonna be leaving for a long time and I just felt so much love for her. I didn't want to let her go."

"I can assume that she didn't respond positively to your request?"

"No. She called me insane and then ran away."

"Ah."

"What?"

"I can't really blame her. Think of how she must have felt. You proposed to her right before you were about to leave, basically forcing her to commit to a relationship more serious than she's ready for, all so you could train as a Jedi without having to worry about what your relationship would be like when you returned."

He frowned at her explanation. "That's not it at all."

"I know that," she said, "but does Mara?"

His eyes turned downcast again. "I thought she did. Now I'm not so sure."

Leia squeezed his hand in an encouraging gesture. "Luke, I don't mean to be harsh. I'm just trying to get you to see things from her perspective. But she does love you. I can tell. And eventually she'll come to her senses and realize your true intentions."

"But by then I'll be gone."

"Maybe this is the way things are supposed to be for now."

"You think so?"

"You're the one going to train as a Jedi. You need to trust the Force."

"Right." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Leia. I probably should get going. I still have to gather all my supplies. I got distracted last night." He made a face.

"But you haven't eaten anything," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "The Force is telling me I can eat in my X-wing," he responded serenely.

She shoved his shoulder hard. "What am I going to do without you?" she asked wistfully.

"Oh, I'm sure you can figure out something."

Her eyes narrowed. "Implying something, Skywalker?"

"Not at all, Organa." Rising from his chair, he came around the table and kissed her cheek. "Be well. Say good-bye to Han for me, would you?"

He couldn't help but smile at Leia's growl of frustration. Sometimes—okay, all of the time—it was really fun to tease her.

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Mara made her way through _Home One _in a fog, never really stopping to pay attention to where she was going or who she passed by. Her only focus was avoiding Luke at all costs. It was easy for her to do so, as close as they were in the Force. After a while he stopped searching for her and she could relax a bit, knowing that he'd gotten the hint. But she still didn't return to her quarters or any of the other places she might run into him.

Just before the early morning shift change, Mara decided it was time to head back to her room and get ready for the day. Making a quick detour to the pilots' lounge, she ducked inside to pour herself a cup of caf, knowing she'd need it to get through the day after not getting any sleep.

The lone figure silhouetted in the large viewport gave Mara pause. It was dark in the room, but Mara would recognize the Twi'lek pilot anywhere. "Avy?"

The girl didn't turn, just remained staring out the window, her forehead pressed against the cool transparisteel. Mara debated leaving Avy alone—she, of all people, knew what it was like to want to avoid uncomfortable conversations at all costs—but she found that she couldn't leave the girl in such a state. Grabbing a cover for her caf, she crossed the room and stood next to the Twi'lek. "Have you been here all night?" Mara asked. She didn't bother asking how Avy was doing. The answer to that question was obvious.

"Yeah," Avy answered.

Mara held out her cup. "Caf?"

Avy shook her head. "No, thanks."

"Do you want to talk?"

"About what?"

"Whatever you want." After a few minutes of silence, Mara resigned herself to the fact that Avy wasn't going to talk. "If you change your mind…" She trailed off, the suggestion evident, before pivoting on her heel to leave the lounge.

"I miss him so much." Avy's voice was barely more than a whisper, but the pain evident in her words tore through Mara's heart. The redhead resumed her place at the window, moving just a bit closer to her fellow Rogue. "I can't believe he's gone," Avy continued, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

"I know," Mara whispered. "I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say that wouldn't sound completely trite. Yes, they'd all lost Dack…but Avy felt it most of all. Even more than Wes.

"I know we didn't have much time together, but he meant so much to me. He was my first boyfriend. He was the first man to make me feel good about myself. After being forced into slavery, I didn't know if I ever could feel good about myself again. Dack proved me wrong, and I loved him for it. I never told him that, you know?"

Mara swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. "I didn't know."

"We just hadn't gotten to that point yet. After the wampa attack, I knew I loved him…but then the battle came so fast and…and then it was too late."

Avy's words were a slap in Mara's face. Tears stung her eyes but she violently brushed them away. She was here to comfort Avy. Not herself.

"I'm sure he knew how you felt, Avy. You shouldn't feel guilty about it."

"I know. I know. And we all know what we signed up for. I just never really accepted it. And now…now I just wish we had more time." Her sobs came openly now, and Mara wrapped her arms around the other woman, feeling slightly awkward but not knowing what else to do. In just a few short days, the innocent, fun-loving Twi'lek was gone, replaced by a battle-hardened soldier who'd learned the lessons of war in a very personal manner.

After all her tears were completely expelled, Avy pulled away, pushing back her lekku and taking several steadying breaths. Her skin was beginning to turn back to its deep blue color, the patches of red due to her disquiet fading away. "Thanks, Mara. I needed that."

"No problem, Avy. That's what friends are for."

"Right. I guess I should go back to my room and get changed."

"Sure you don't want some caf?"

"Thanks. I'll get my own."

Avy dispensed her own cup, then she looked up from the machine to meet Mara's gaze. "I wish someone had told me before," she said quietly.

"Told you what?" Mara questioned.

"Not to waste any time." With a nod, the Twi'lek left, leaving Mara alone to contemplate Avy's final words.

And contemplate them, she did.

What had she done? Luke had professed his love for her multiple times…and she had yet to return the sentiment. He had asked to be with her forever…and she had laughed in his face and turned away.

Despite that, he had tried to find her to clear the air between them, not wanting to leave on such a note, only to give up his search because of _her_desire to be alone. Not seeing her, not fixing things—it had to be killing him.

But Mara hadn't cared. She had only cared about herself, and her fear of being trapped and controlled again. She was scared of her emotions, of what her feelings said about her as a person. She was used to being a strong woman, in control of everything, yet Luke had thrown her world into a spiral since the moment she'd laid eyes on him. She'd accepted him into her life slowly, because it was unavoidable, because she couldn't resist him, but she refused to give herself to him fully, because she was afraid of losing herself in the process.

Which was ridiculous, because Luke helped make her whole. He gave her strength, just as she strengthened him. They were better together than apart. She _knew _this.

Realization striking her soul, she checked her chrono. _Oh, gods._ Luke would be taking off shortly. She couldn't let him leave like this. Not with so many things left unsaid.

The precious gift of time had been taken away from Avy. Mara wouldn't squander whatever time she had left with Luke. She couldn't say yes to his proposal…but there were so many other things that she could say.

That she suddenly, more than anything, _needed_ to say.

She ripped her comlink from her belt and burst out of the lounge, racing through the starship's empty corridors. "Tycho?" she gasped when the Alderaanian answered. "It's Mara. I need your help."

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Wedge was already inside the hangar, waiting for him, when Luke arrived to start the launch preparations. The Rogues' XO had graciously accepted his new assignment, although he was still grumbling about all the paperwork he'd be forced to complete.

"So, Skywalker, you ready to leave me with this merry band of reprobates?" Wedge grinned.

"Hey, just remember, you're still one of those reprobates."

"Not anymore. Now I'm one of the important people."

"Wedge, I don't care if you ever become a general; you will never be that important."

Wedge did a perfect imitation of Wes. "That stings, boss."

Luke laughed at his old friend. "Seriously, Wedge. Thanks for taking on the assignment. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving if you weren't in charge."

"Well, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking the assignment if you hadn't already trained them well."

Luke shrugged sheepishly. "Just doing my job."

"Right. Well, good luck, boss." Wedge extended his hand and Luke gripped it tightly.

"Thanks, but you're the boss now."

"Yeah, I guess I am. Does that mean I can write you up for insubordination?"

"Nope. But you can write up Wes."

Wedge grinned. "Perhaps this being in charge thing won't be so bad after all."

Luke laughed. "We can only hope. See you later, boss."

"Boss," Wedge mused, his expression turning contemplative as walked across the hangar. "I like the sound of that. Oh, hey," he called out, turning back around for a moment. "Cheer up, Luke. I have a sneaking suspicion that things'll be all right."

Now, what in the worlds did that mean? Luke hadn't told any of the Rogues about his "disagreement" with Mara, not wanting to create disharmony in the group. What was Wedge playing at?

But the Corellian just kept smiling before turning and leaving the hangar. Luke shrugged, not thinking anything of it. With a sigh, he climbed into the cockpit and began the startup procedures. He tried to put thoughts of Mara out of his mind, but it was pointless. He feared that he'd chased her away forever. He should have known that someone like her would not want to be tied down. Since her defection from the Empire, she'd become too much of a free spirit and she feared, more than anything, falling under another person's control. He understood all this and yet he still hadn't been able to stop himself from throwing himself at her and scaring her off.

Hopefully his Jedi training would curb some of his recklessness. Maybe Mara would look at him differently when he returned, if she would even look at him at all.

Luke sighed. He didn't want to leave without saying good-bye, but she was nowhere to be found and he had to leave while he still had the nerve.

Just as he pulled on his helmet, a loud voice cried out his name across the hangar. He looked up, grinning already, and saw Mara rushing towards his X-wing. She bounded up the ladder and jumped into the cockpit.

"What are you doing?" Luke sputtered, his arms instinctively wrapping around her even as he vowed not to scare her off again. The words had barely left his mouth before she tugged off his helmet and kissed him full on the lips.

So much for scaring her off.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed when she finally pulled away. "I'm sorry for running away. I didn't want you to leave without saying good-bye…"

"It's okay," Luke soothed, stroking her back. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Mara. It was stupid of me to ask you that. I just wanted to show you I was serious—"

"I know, Luke! I know. You were just…being you."

"You mean stupid and reckless?"

Mara smiled and pushed his hair back from his face. "No, impulsive and adventurous. And I love you for it."

Luke's eyes widened, and his hands stilled on Mara's back. "You…you love me?" It was a stupid question; he _knew_ that she did, but to hear her finally say it, after fearing that he had ruined their relationship forever…

She held his gaze and nodded seriously. "Yes. I love you, Luke."

He couldn't resist kissing her again, passionately and fiercely, and he suddenly became very aware just how close they were—that she was straddling his lap in his starfighter. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he breathed in her beautiful scent.

She pulled away again, cupping his face with her hands. "I'm sorry, Luke, but I can't say yes—"

"I know, just forget I asked—"

"Listen to me! I don't want to forget that you asked. I'm serious about us too, Luke, but we're still so young, and I'm still so closed-off…I'm just not ready yet."

The smile on his face was big enough to light up the entire hangar. "I'll wait for you forever, Mara."

She rolled her eyes, but her grin betrayed her true feelings. "You're such a sap."

"I know." As they fell into another kiss, Mara began to undo his flight suit and ran her hands over his shoulders. Luke was wearing a gray tank top underneath and her fingers were lighting fires against his bare skin. After several long minutes he could no longer ignore his discomfort and he tore his lips away, breathing heavily.

He leaned his forehead against Mara's. "We should probably stop before things get out of control."

For as long as Luke lived, he would never forget Mara's next words, nor her mischievous smile: "What if I want them to get out of control?"

He gaped at her while her hands continued to move seductively underneath his flight suit. He had dreamt about this moment for so long, and he couldn't believe he was actually going to stop it…

"Someone could come in here at any time," he protested lamely, as her lips moved across his neck.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Don't worry. I've taken care of everything."

His eyes widened. "…Huh?"

"What's the point having an Intelligence clearance and a squadron of Rogues at your disposal if you don't take advantage every so often?"

Luke alternated between staring in disbelief and grinning like a fool. "Are you…are you serious?"

She glanced down at his lap. "Oh, yes."

"Mara, I don't think now is the right time to do this—"

She placed a finger over his lips. "Skywalker. You're leaving the Alliance for Force knows how long, and your girlfriend is straddling your lap in your X-wing, wanting to give you a proper good-bye. Now shut up and kiss me, or I'm leaving this cockpit and you will permanently lose the opportunity to fulfill every Rogues' fantasy."

Luke swallowed hard. "_Every_ Rogues' fantasy?"

Her hands traveled lower, pressing suggestively against him, and her smile turned impish. "_Every _Rogue."

Luke shut up and kissed her.

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Wedge, along with Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie, stood at loose attention outside the hangar doors. Recruited to duty by Mara, they took turns chasing off everyone who tried to enter the hangar.

"There's a gas leak inside, very dangerous!" Wes explained to a passing soldier. "Crews are taking care of it right now. Cleanup could take hours. Or minutes, considering who's involved. It hasn't been determined yet. We'll let you know when you can go back inside!" The young mechanic walked away, shaking his head.

Wedge couldn't help but smile, seeing his friend acting like his old, carefree self. He made a mental note to thank Mara for asking them to help out with this craziness. It was nice to act normal again.

Hobbie leaned against the wall and sighed. "Wedge, how much longer do we have to stand out here? It's way too early."

"Now now, Hobbie, we all agreed to help our esteemed commander get the best send off of his entire life," Wes replied. "I'm expecting to be thoroughly compensated when he returns."

"You really think Luke's actually gonna do it?"

"Uh, we're talking about Luke Skywalker here. Don't you remember what he did before the Battle of Hoth? Of course he's going to do it, and if he doesn't, I'm personally going to hunt him down and smack some sense into him!"

Hobbie sighed. "Wedge, how come you're not complaining about this?"

Wedge waved his hand. There were many reasons, but only one that the other pilots needed to know about. "It's simple, really. I want to set a precedent."

"What precedent?"

"To help commanding officers in times of desperate need."

"Why would you care about that?"

Wedge smiled. He'd only just been given command of the squadron, but he was already enjoying himself far too much. "Because I'm CO while Luke's gone."

Sometime later—Wedge had lost track of the time—Mara finally emerged from the hangar with a dopey smile on her face. Wedge didn't dare make any smart-mouth remarks about her little tryst with Luke, but Wes, of course, couldn't resist.

"Hey Mara!" he called out. She turned around, the same dazed look on her face. "So, uh...did Luke get off okay?"

Wedge cringed, predicting Mara's reaction, but she merely shook her head in amusement. "Wes, right now, not even you could ruin my good mood. And yes, Luke got off _just fine_." With a grin and mock salute, she turned around and left.

Wedge sighed and placed his head in his hands. "Tycho?"

Tycho nodded and smacked Wes on the head.

"Hey!" Wes exclaimed. "It was an innocent question! Why'd you hit me, Tycho?"

"Because Wedge told me to."

"Wedge, why'd you tell him to hit me?"

"Because it's what Luke would have done."

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When Mara finally arrived back at her quarters, she was still in a daze. She was very grateful that Winter wasn't around, because there was no way she'd be able to speak coherently right now. Not after that…

Frowning, she noticed a blinking message indicator on her datapad and wondered what it could possibly be. She hoped it wasn't Cracken or Madine calling with another assignment. It would be nice to be distracted while Luke was away, but she needed time on _Home One _to decompress, especially after the stressful and upsetting Battle of Hoth.

But thankfully the message wasn't anything like that; it was from Luke. Smiling, she picked up the datapad and flicked on the message. She checked the timestamp and realized that Luke must've sent it right before jumping to hyperspace. Her smile turned to confusion, then outright laughter as she read on:

.

_...To: Lieutenant Jade_  
><em>...From: Commander Skywalker<em>

_...You are hereby written up for gross insubordination, charges stemming from disobeying a direct order during battle. Reprimand is five days of kitchen duty and will be enforced by acting ...Rogue Leader Captain Antilles, who has already been informed of this punishment._

_...Please do not let such incidents occur again._

_...P.S. I love you and miss you already._

_.  
><em>

Shaking her head, Mara saved the message to her personal folder. "Love you, too, Farmboy. But I am _so_ getting you back for this."

_._

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><p><em>.<em>

_A/N: There is an extended NC-17 version of Chapter 14. It is entitled "Worth the Wait" and can be found on starwarsfanfic dot net in the Extra Scenes (Adult) forum._


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I have finally finished this story, and thus have upped my posting schedule to twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays. Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy! _

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CHAPTER 15

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_Mara's arms felt both soft and strong as they clutched at his neck. Their bodies cooled considerably while they quietly discussed everything but Luke's impending departure to Dagobah and the recent Battle of Hoth._

_She made a snarky joke and Luke chuckled, then pulled her closer to kiss her lips._

_It was a good-bye kiss, and they both knew it._

_"You should go," she whispered, running a hand through his sweaty hair, "unless you want to take a shower first…"_

_Luke was halfway tempted to do so, but then he'd really never find the strength to leave. "Mara," he ducked his head sheepishly, "I…"_

_"I know," she squeezed his hand, "I was just teasing."_

_"Good to know that won't change."_

_"I should smack you for that."_

_"You should, but would that really be punishment?"_

_Mara rolled her eyes in disbelief. "You really are something, Farmboy."_

_"So are you. But you're right, I should get going," he said reluctantly._

_"I know. Here." She helped him get back into his flightsuit, which took a lot longer than it usually did, as they were still cramped inside the cockpit._

_"You had to decide to do this in one of the most inconvenient places possible, didn't you?" he asked sarcastically._

_"Oh, I'm sorry, are you complaining?"_

_"Not at all, love."_

_After a few more minutes, they were both ready to go, Luke into hyperspace and Mara back into _Home One_. Back to reality._

_They stood together in the cockpit. Luke sighed and leaned his head against her forehead. "I'm going to miss you so much."_

_"Don't you dare. Don't you spend one minute thinking about me when you should be concentrating on becoming a Jedi."_

_"What about when I'm asleep?"_

_"Well, I guess that's all right."_

_"Or when I'm eating?"_

_She grinned wickedly. "Yeah, I bet you'd like that."_

_Luke still had the decency to look embarrassed. "What about when I'm—"_

_Mara placed a finger to his lips. "You can think about me whenever you're not actively training. But that's it."_

_"Okay. I can deal with that," Luke relented. "As long as you don't spend all your time thinking of me."_

_"Hmm, you're suddenly very full of yourself, Skywalker."_

_"Can you blame me?"_

_Mara's eyes suddenly turned wistful. "No, not at all." She glanced away, still uncomfortable with big displays of emotion. Luke, knowing this, placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back, and allowed her emotions to flow through their kiss._

_"I love you," she whispered when they finally broke apart for air._

_Luke smiled, still unaccustomed to hearing those words, and amazed that she was willing to say them first. "I love you too."_

_"May the Force be with you."_

_"You, too."_

_She climbed out of the cockpit and dropped gracefully to the deck. She waited near the entrance to the hangar while he started up the X-wing and lifted off. He gave her a wave before maneuvering the fighter through the macgon field._

_Her wave good-bye was burned into his memory the entire trip to Dagobah._

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The loud trill of an alarm roused Luke from his dream. He sighed, not wanting to let go of the memory just yet, but he didn't have much of a choice. It was time to begin his training. It was time to take the next step forward in his life.

When he'd first entered hyperspace, Luke had been excited about going to Dagobah. Now, he was anxious. He didn't even know what Jedi training entailed, much less what it meant to be a Jedi Knight.

As he turned off the alarm, he heard Artoo trilling at him. The little droid had been talkative during the trip to Dagobah, almost as if he was relieved to have Luke's undivided attention again. Still, the droid kept questioning whether or not going to Dagobah was a good idea. It was almost as if he didn't want Luke to become a Jedi.

"Yeah, Artoo, I heard the alarm," Luke replied, his voice still groggy from sleep. "Get ready to revert on my mark."

The reversion countdown hit zero and Luke pulled the hyperdrive lever, bringing them back to realspace. "Here we are," he murmured to himself. Checking his sensors, he redirected his course to the second planet in the system. The sublight travel gave him time to fully wake up. He took out his datapad to make a few notes, just in case he ever found himself coming back to the system, then stowed it with the rest of his gear. For the rest of the trip, he let himself fall into a meditative state, reaching out to feel the Force presence around Dagobah. Even with his limited power, he could sense that the Force was strong here—very strong. It was almost overwhelming.

As the X-wing approached the planet, Artoo let out an inquisitive trill.

"Yep, that's it," Luke replied. "Dagobah."

Artoo beeped another question.

"No, I'm not gonna change my mind about this," Luke insisted. Artoo blew a raspberry but Luke ignored him, checking the sensors. "I'm not picking up any cities or technology. Massive life-form readings, though. There's _something _alive down there."

Artoo's next protest made Luke smile. "Yes. I'm sure it's perfectly safe for droids."

The X-wing descended into the atmosphere and Luke checked the sensors and equipment as he always did. But after a few moments it became obvious that this would not be a normal landing. Luke tried vainly to bring the shaking X-wing under control. All the scopes were dead and the atmosphere was so think that Luke couldn't see where he was going; he was literally flying blind. There was only one thing left to do. "Just hang on," Luke told Artoo. "I'm gonna start the landing cycle."

The ship kept plunging through the murky clouds. It took every ounce of Luke's skill and control to land his ship, and he still ended up crashing into a lake.

As the ship settled onto uneven ground, Luke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _Great,_ he derided himself. _So much for being Rogue Leader._

He popped the canopy and the swampy, humid air immediately permeated his flight suit. The environment reminded him somewhat of Yavin. Taking his gloves off, he threw them onto the seat in disgust. The ship was halfway covered in water. He sighed, trying to force himself to be calm. From the droid socket, Artoo chirped a question. "No, Artoo, you stay put," Luke answered. "I'll have a look around." There was no use in the droid getting out if they weren't going to be staying nearby.

Not bothering to take off his helmet, Luke rose from the cockpit and climbed onto the nose. Shrugging his shoulders, he jumped into the lake and trudged to shore.

And behind him, there was a loud splash as Artoo fell into the lake.

He whipped around immediately, cringing at his droid's insolence. "Artoo? Artoo! Where are you?"

There was no answer, of course, and Luke grew nervous. If he lost his droid…

After several tense moments, Artoo's periscope poked out of the swamp. Luke sighed in both relief and indignation. "You be more careful," he warned his droid, not even bothering to chastise Artoo for disobedience.

The droid gave an affirmative beep, then began walking further into the lake. Luke rolled his eyes. "Artoo," he pointed in the direction of shore, "_that_ way."

Artoo made a noise that sounded like it meant "of course, I knew that."

Luke climbed onto shore and took a better look around the area. The land was covered with trees and the ground seemed perpetually wet. Luke's survival instinct told him it was good that they landed near water, but he would be damned if he ever drank from the muddy lake. Besides the numerous snakes, lizards, and many other animals nearby, there was no other sign of life. No dwellings, no structures—nothing at all to indicate civilization.

And Luke was supposed to find a Jedi master here? Was this some sort of crazy test?

Well, if it was, Luke was failing already. He'd crashed his ship and he was soaking wet. At least he'd brought enough changes of clothes.

Luke helped Artoo get onto shore, then took him further inland, to a clearing that could be used as a campsite. He brushed off water and mud from the droid, then leaned back on his haunches and rubbed his face with his hand. Artoo beeped. "If you're saying coming here was a bad idea, I'm beginning to agree with you," Luke said. He laughed derisively at himself. "Oh, Artoo, what are we doing here? It's like something out of a dream or…I don't know. Maybe I'm just going crazy."

Even without a datapad, Luke understood the droid's retort:

_THAT'S BECAUSE YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME WITH MARA._

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Darth Vader stood in the center of his quarters in the Imperial Palace, not deigning to sit during this meeting. His guest, the leader of the Black Sun crime syndicate, reclined on the furniture in a manner that indicated he was used to living in similar opulence.

"I trust that you understand the need for discretion in this task, Prince Xizor," Vader warned.

Xizor's face did not betray any intimidation. A member of the Falleen species, his skin was a deep green color and he constantly exuded powerful pheromones that affected most beings. Vader wasn't, of course. He did not care for the Falleen prince at all, but Vader knew when his options were limited.

"I understand, Lord Vader," Xizor replied in a sinuous voice. "Do not worry; the Black Sun will not disappoint you."

Vader stopped pacing directly in front of the alien. "I hope so, prince, for your sake."

Xizor regarded Vader with a casual smile. "Of course, Lord Vader."

Vader practically shoved a datacard into the Falleen's hand. "This is all the information you will need. Do not contact me unless you have information regarding Skywalker. You may go."

With a regal bow, Xizor rose from the couch and closed his hand around the datacard. "Lord Vader." He strode from the room, his robes flowing behind him, without giving the Dark Lord another glance.

Vader furrowed his brow. After the escape of the _Millennium Falcon_, Vader had interrogated the ensign, but was unable to gain any information about the Rebel's rendezvous point and the location of his son. Vader did not like leaving this task up to Xizor and his cronies in the Black Sun, but this was his best option. Upon Vader's return to the Imperial Palace, Palpatine had immediately summoned him to the Throne Room and doled out his punishment for letting Skywalker and Jade escape. The disappointment and rage was evident, and Palpatine hadn't even had to strike Vader to affect his torture. Even Vader, with all his dark power, couldn't help but tremble before his Sith master when he was in such a state.

And then Palpatine had doled out the ultimate punishment. Since Lord Vader was incapable of claiming the Emperor's prizes, he would no longer be in charge of the search to find them. Palpatine would now go about finding the two youths himself, and would claim them for his own.

Palpatine did not say so specifically, but it was understood that, if Vader was to continue the search for his son, the consequences would be disastrous.

Vader knew that he should obey his master, that he should forget about finding his son and go about Palpatine's duties as he always had. But something stopped him. He couldn't give up on finding his son. He could no longer blindly follow his master.

And he couldn't allow Palpatine to claim Luke…not if there was still a chance for his son to join him on the Dark Side and destroy the Emperor forever.

So much had been lost over the years…this was a chance to make things right, and Vader had to take it, no matter what the consequences.

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After Luke got Artoo set up and cleaned off, he set about unpacking his supplies and setting up camp. He'd brought several crates so it took awhile, and more than once he thought of how easy things like this would be after he completed his Jedi training. At least he got to strip out of his soaked flight suit and change into some dry clothes.

When the last crate was unloaded from the X-wing, Luke crouched down in front of Artoo. "Ready for some power?" Artoo made an excited noise. "Okay. Let's see now." Luke grabbed his portable power device. "Put that in there," he mumbled to himself, as he often did while going about a mechanical task. Once everything was connected, he leaned back on his heels and patted Artoo's head. "There you go. Now all I gotta do is find this Yoda. If he even exists."

Artoo let out a series of beeps. Luke checked the datapad hooked up to the droid. "How do you know that Yoda exists?"

A lone beep. _NEVERMIND._

Luke shook his head as he glanced around the camp, still wondering why a Jedi master would make his home on Dagobah. Before leaving _Home One_Luke had considered researching this Yoda, or talking to someone like Mon Mothma about him. But then Luke had realized that he needed to keep Yoda's name and location a secret. Obi-Wan had said that Yoda was living in exile. He'd probably had to hide during the Jedi purges, just like Obi-Wan.

But why hide on a place like Dagobah, with absolutely no civilization at all? Why not hide on a Rim planet, like Tatooine, where he could still be somewhat connected to the rest of the galaxy? Luke had to wonder what living in complete isolation for twenty-some-odd years would do to a person. "This is a really strange place to find a Jedi master," he mused out loud. "This place gives me the creeps." He shivered inadvertently, emphasizing his words. The planet was dark and gloomy…kind of like the evil places in bedtime stories Aunt Beru used to read him.

"Still…there's something familiar about this place," Luke admitted. It was a feeling in the Force, a feeling he couldn't place just yet.

_WHAT? _Artoo questioned.

Luke shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like—"

"Feel like what?"

Luke whirled around at the sound of the gravelly voice, brandishing his blaster at their surprise visitor. "Like we're being watched," he accused.

The voice belonged to a tiny green creature, standing on a log and cowering behind his walking stick. "Away put your weapon! I mean you no harm!" he—Luke assumed it was a he—assured Luke. "I am wondering, why are you here?"

Luke reluctantly lowered his weapon, taking in the creature in front of him. He was barely over half a meter tall, green in color, with wispy white hairs sprouting from his wrinkled head. His wide eyes and backwards style of speaking made him appear youthful, but his wrinkled skin indicated he was extremely old. Luke had never encountered a species like this before.

Luke knew to be wary of strangers, but his Aunt Beru had taught him to respect all life, and the creature in front of him seemed harmless. And Luke had just crashed into the creature's home, after all. "I'm looking for someone," Luke admitted hesitantly.

The creature smiled and leaned onto his gimer stick. "Looking? Found someone you have, I would say, hmm?"

Luke couldn't help but chuckle at the joke. "Right."

"Help you, I can, yes, mmm!"

Luke turned back to camp and holstered his weapon. He gave the alien a dubious look. "I don't think so."

Artoo beeped. Luke glanced at the datapad for a translation. _YES HE CAN._

Luke could have laughed in disbelief. He was stranded in the middle of a swamp on an unknown planet, having a conversation with a tiny green troll while trying to find a great Jedi master, and his droid had decided that now was a good time to have delusions of grandeur. Taking a calming breath, Luke turned his attention back to their visitor. "I'm looking for a great warrior," he explained.

"Oh!" the creature exclaimed. "Great warrior. Wars not make one great!"

Luke cocked a brow as the creature climbed down from the log began to furrow through Luke's supplies. "Get away from there," he ordered, but the visitor was undeterred and grabbed Luke's half-eaten ration bar. "Hey!" Luke snatched it back, annoyance growing by the second. "That's my dinner!"

The green fellow spat out the food in disgust. "How you get so big, eating food of this kind?"

Luke generally didn't mind company, but there was a lot of work to do and he didn't need this alien messing up his stuff. "Listen, friend, we didn't mean to land in that puddle, and if we could get our ship out we would, but we can't, so why don't you—"

"Aw, cannot get your ship out! Heh!" the alien laughed and started going through the rest of the supplies. If this was another one of the galaxy's crazy tests, he was really getting fed up.

"Hey, get outta there!" Luke yelled, taking various items from the creature's hands. The alien pouted but kept searching.

Then he found a lamp. "Oh!" he exclaimed, as if he'd never seen such an object before. He turned around and shined it directly at Artoo, prompting an annoyed beep from the droid.

"You're making a mess," Luke groaned, trying to clean up the discarded objects as best he could in the middle of the chaos. He pointed at the lamp. "Give me that."

The alien pulled the lamp away. "Mine! Or I will help you not."

Luke placed his hands on his hips and glared at the unwanted visitor. He was very quickly losing what little patience he had. "I don't want your help. I want my lamp back. I'm gonna need it to get out of this slimy mudhole."

"Mudhole? Slimy?" the creature protested. "My home, this is!"

Before the alien could continue his argument, Artoo reached out his pincer and grabbed the lamp. "No!" the creature yelled. "Mine!"

"Oh Artoo, let him have it," Luke sighed, deciding it was worth it to sacrifice the lamp in order to get the creature to leave them alone.

"Mine, mine, mine, mine!" The green creature emphasized his words by hitting Artoo with his walking stick.

"Artoo," Luke huffed.

With a resigned tweet, Artoo released the lamp. The creature clutched it victoriously. "Hmph. Know better than to argue with me you should, little droid," he said. Artoo responded by blowing a raspberry.

Luke didn't bother following the exchange. "There, you have my lamp. Now will you move along, little fellow? We've got a lot of work to do."

"No, no, no! Stay and help you I will. Find your friend."

"I'm not looking for a friend. I'm looking for a Jedi master."

"Oh," the creature said in an awed tone. "Jedi master. Yoda." He poked his stick at Luke's chest. "You seek Yoda!"

His curiosity piqued, Luke kneeled down to look the creature in the eye, all his patience magically returned. "You know him?" he asked.

"Mmm," the creature affirmed. "Take you to him, I will. Heh! Yes, yes, but now we must eat. Come. Good food. Come!" Without another word, the creature turned around and walked away, leaning on his walking stick. Luke stood in confused silence, glancing back and forth at the creature and the camp.

"Come, come!" the creature ordered.

Luke sighed. He _could _use help finding Yoda, and he had absolutely no idea where to start his search. Could this odd creature actually help him? Reluctantly, he made his choice.

"Artoo, stay and watch after the camp," he commanded. Artoo let out a tweet of protest, but Luke was already trekking across the swampy land, begrudgingly following the green creature that was still gleefully brandishing Luke's lamp.


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! The next few chapters are kind of slow as we enter a transitional part of the story. So take a breath, because soon there will be a lot going on..._**

.**_  
><em>**

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><p>.<p>

CHAPTER 16

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They arrived at the creature's hut a short walk later. Apparently, Luke's X-wing had landed directly in his backyard. Artoo, to no surprise, did not obey Luke's order to stay at the camp and followed his master to the hut. Luke would have laughed at the droid's attempt to peer in one of the windows if he wasn't so impatient about getting to Yoda. Luke was grateful to be out of the rain that had come with a sudden storm, but was growing more and more frustrated with the green alien and his insistence that Luke eat a hearty meal. Judging from the smells that permeated the room, it was not going to be a very good meal.

The hut was spartan, with one main area that contained a pot for cooking food and a bunk to sleep in. Luke, not a very tall man by any means, had to bend over at the waist so as not to hit his head on the ceiling. Judging by his living conditions and way of dress, Luke could only assume that this creature, whatever it was, was extremely primitive.

Outside the window, Artoo whined as Luke tried to convince the creature that he was fine eating his ration bars, and they didn't need to waste time eating dinner. "Look, I'm sure it's delicious," he argued. "I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now."

"Patience!" the creature admonished. "For the Jedi it is time to eat as well." Luke rolled his eyes, and the creature insisted "Eat, eat! Hot!" as if he had seen Luke's gesture.

_This little fellow is completely insane,_ Luke thought as he knelt down and crawled to the cooking pot. He helped himself to a spoonful of the unappetizing dish. Luke took a bite and cringed; it was absolutely disgusting. But he still filled the bowl and set about eating, because Aunt Beru had taught him to be polite when in a stranger's house, and his appetite would never let him refuse a meal, no matter how bad it tasted.

The creature obviously didn't agree with Luke's assessment of the meal. "Good food! Mmm, good, hmm?"

Luke decided not to answer that last question. "How far away is Yoda?" he asked instead. "Will it take us long to get there?"

"Not far, Yoda not far." The creature came out into the main living area. "Patience. Soon you will be with him."

Blowing on his spoon, Luke restrained himself from rolling his eyes again. The creature came over to the pot and Luke moved over, leaning against a column in the middle of the room. "Root leaf," the creature explained. "I cook." His pride was evident and Luke gave a tiny smile, while making a mental note never to ask for root leaf at any galactic restaurants…although it would be kind of funny to see Mara's reaction to this soup.

The creature hobbled over to tend to the pot. "Why wish you become Jedi? Hmm?"

Luke shrugged and shifted against the column. "Mostly because of my father, I guess." He didn't really have a good answer to that question, which suddenly bothered him.

"Ah, father." The creature turned around, regarding Luke. "Powerful Jedi was he. Heh! Mmm, powerful Jedi."

"Oh come on." Luke could no longer hide his disgust. "How could you know my father? You don't even know who I am." _I don't even know who _you_ are_. He'd tried hard, but he could no longer contain his frustration. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. We're wasting our time!" He threw his spoon into his bowl for emphasis and let out a heavy sigh, biting his knuckles in irritation.

For a few moments, there was silence. Then the creature's shoulders slumped and he stared at his webbed feet. "I cannot teach him," he muttered to himself. "The boy has no patience."

_"He will learn patience,"_came a voice that Luke knew all too well. Luke slowly glanced around the hut, looking for the source of the voice, hand dropping to his side in amazement.

"Hmm." The creature pondered Obi-Wan Kenobi's words. He stared at Luke openly now, old wisdom apparent in his eyes. "Much anger in him. Like his father."

_"Was I any different when you taught me?"_

"No," the creature admitted, but he still shook his head. "He is not ready."

Luke's gaze finally settled on the creature in front of him. "Yoda?" His voice was incredulous. _This _was the Jedi master Ben had sent him to find? But he was…not at all what Luke expected a Jedi master to be.

The creature—_Yoda_—nodded. Luke suddenly realized that his arrival on Dagobah had indeed been a crazy test.

One he'd failed miserably.

But he forced himself not to dwell on his failure. He had to convince Yoda that he was ready to be a Jedi—he had to! He'd traveled halfway across the galaxy to fulfill his destiny. Everyone expected him to be the next great hope for freedom. He couldn't let them down.

He couldn't let himself down.

"I am ready!" He used his most persuasive voice. "I—Ben—I can be a Jedi! Ben, tell him I'm rea—" Luke rocked on his hips while glancing up to speak to Obi-Wan, wherever he was, and banged his head on the low ceiling. He sunk down to the floor in pain and embarrassment.

"Ready, are you?" Yoda scoffed. "What know you of ready? For _800 years_ have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained!" Yoda hobbled over to Luke, leaning on his gimer stick. Luke regarded Yoda seriously and remained quiet, knowing that the Jedi master's words were of the utmost importance. "A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, hmm? The most serious mind." Luke found himself nodding, and wondered if he fit that description. He could be serious—he had to be, to be a commanding officer. But was he Jedi material?

"This one, a long time have I watched." Yoda looked into nothingness to address Obi-Wan, who was somehow watching over them. "All his life has he looked away—to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was!" Yoda emphasized his words by poking Luke in the chest with his walking stick. "Hmm? What he was doing!"

Again, Luke couldn't argue. Even after joining the Alliance he still looked to the future—to when he'd be a Jedi, to when he would marry Mara, to when the war would be over. The here and now? He never gave it much thought.

"Hmph." Yoda grunted again, pacing the floor of his hut. "Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things." He pointed to Luke. "You are reckless!"

_"So was I, if you remember."_

Luke glanced up, unable to imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi as anything but a serious Jedi master. Was he once like Luke? Did Luke still have a chance at becoming a Jedi?

Yoda apparently didn't agree, and changed his tactics. "He is too old. Yes, too old to begin the training."

Luke leaned forward earnestly, wanting nothing more than to convince Yoda that he could be a Jedi. "But I've learned so much."

Yoda frowned and sighed, defeated. "Will he finish what he begins?" he asked Obi-Wan, but Luke answered instead.

"I won't fail you." He was as serious as he'd ever been, remembering his vow to Ben Kenobi on Tatooine—_I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi, like my father. _He wouldn't let go of that promise, no matter what. "I'm not afraid."

Yoda's expression turned amused, and Luke wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. "Oh, you will be." He leaned forward, mere centimeters from Luke. "You will be."

Luke considered the Jedi master's words. They were almost enough to make Luke back away in fear…but he held his ground. "Perhaps." He nodded. "But I am ready to face that fear."

"Heh." Yoda let out a derisive laugh. "We will see, my young apprentice. We will see."

It didn't escape Luke that the words were said with a touch of wistfulness.

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It was odd, being alone in the Alliance. Of course Mara was never truly alone, surrounded as she was by the Rogues and Leia and Winter. They kept her spirits high, and she kept her promise and didn't think about Luke too much.

He'd been her constant, by her side since the day she unintentionally joined the Alliance. Even before they were a couple, he became her other half. She fought against it at first, having lived her entire life with only the Emperor for comfort, and all she wanted was to be an individual, in control of her own life.

And Luke helped her learn that those things were possible, even with him at her side.

Now she was alone again, but instead of worrying about Luke, she used the time to focus on her own issues. She wanted to truly know herself when Luke returned so that she could say yes to his request. The main problem was that Luke was the only person in the Alliance, besides Cracken and Madine, who knew that she'd once been the Emperor's Hand. Many times she considered confiding in Leia or Winter, but always thought better of it. She trusted both of them, but Cracken and Madine had wanted her to keep that piece of information quiet for a reason, so she did.

A few days after Luke's departure, Mara was on her way to breakfast with the Rogues before a scheduled mission briefing. On the way there she ran into Leia, hurrying down the corridor, her arms filled with supplies. Mara groaned internally, expecting Leia to pull her aside and have a heart-to heart about whether or not she was okay with Luke gone. It was like all the people close to her had a schedule set up to make sure Mara was okay.

But Leia merely nodded distractedly as she passed by. Even without consciously stretching out with the Force, Mara could tell that Leia was distressed. "Hey Mara."

"Hey, Leia," Mara said in return, pausing directly across from her friend. "Off to a meeting?"

Leia held up the three datapads she held in her right hand. "Where else would I be going at 0900?"

Mara smirked. "Breakfast?"

Leia held up the piece of fruit she held in her other hand. "On the run."

She made to leave but Mara kept talking, trying to draw Leia out of her shell. "That's very responsible of you. I, on the other hand, will be eating a leisurely breakfast with the most immature people on base."

Leia allowed herself a chuckle and relaxed visibly. "Tycho's not too bad."

"Yeah, you're right. I have to give him credit where credit is due. And speaking of Mr. Celchu, have you spoken to Winter lately?"

Leia's eyes lit up at the mention of her surrogate sister and Mara's roommate, momentarily forgetting her responsibilities. Her change in mood was evident through the Force. "She's so smitten."

"I know!" Mara leaned in conspiratorially. "So's Tycho. I think they might actually get off their lazy butts and do something about it soon."

"We can only hope."

"Right." Mara shifted on her feet awkwardly. "Well, I better let you go to your meeting."

"Wait a minute. Are you all right?"

"I'm doing all right. Really," Mara promised.

"You sure?"

"Yes." Taking note of Leia's negative mood, Mara continued, "How are _you _doing?"

Now it was Leia's turn to shift uncomfortably. "I'm fine. Luke's just my friend, after all."

"That's not what I meant, Leia." Mara could tell that _something_ had happened between Leia and Han on their way back to the fleet. Of course, Leia wouldn't admit it, and pretended that nothing had ever happened between her and the smuggler. As mad as Mara was with Han at the moment, she knew the two of them had to get over their issues before they both made themselves miserable.

Leia glanced away, as interested in having a heart-to-heart about Han as Mara was about Luke. "I'm fine."

Mara knew exactly how Leia felt, which was exactly why she kept pushing. Leia was always so concerned about the well being of others, but she never tended to her own issues. Perhaps Mara, who'd been struggling with a similar problem for over a year, could help Leia finally open up to people. "Are you sure?"

Leia drew up to her full height, brown eyes turning stoic and regal once again. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"

Mara wasn't deterred. She'd been able to stand tall even when Palpatine stared her down, after all. "I don't know, maybe because Han just rescued you even though he swore to leave the first chance he got?"

The Princess glanced away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Leia—"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Okay, okay!" Mara suppressed a chuckle, amused at the irony of Leia being the one closed-off and unwilling to talk. She cared about Leia, but it was nice to throw the Princess for a loop once in awhile. "But I'm the one who's supposed to never want to talk." She smiled to lighten the mood.

The corner of Leia's lip turned up in a smirk. "Not with Luke around."

"Yeah, if you only knew," Mara muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mara said quickly. "Anyway, Leia…if you wanna talk—"

"I know. Thank you. But that's not necessary. I'll be fine."

Mara nodded reluctantly, knowing that to continue the discussion would be futile. Perhaps in the time Luke was gone, she'd be successful in getting Leia to confide in her. "Okay. Have a good meeting."

"Thanks. Have a good breakfast." With a nod, Leia turned away, but glanced over her shoulder at Mara before she could walk too far. "You know, Luke'll be back before you know it."

Mara smiled. "I know."

Leia returned the smile, then retreated down the corridor. Mara watched her disappear, still able to sense Leia's conflicting emotions—her worry about Luke, her concern for Mara while Luke was gone, her preoccupation with keeping the Alliance safe after the disastrous Battle of Hoth, the sadness she constantly carried about Alderaan…

That she missed Han Solo more than she was willing to admit.

Suddenly those emotions disappeared, and all Mara could sense from Leia was determination to forget about everything and just do her job. It was almost as if Leia realized Mara could sense her emotions, and shielded her thoughts in protest.

Mara turned and walked in the other direction, taking her time to get to the mess as an idea began to form in her head.

Perhaps she had another reason to spend time around Leia Organa during Luke's absence.

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Once more Darth Vader was playing host to the leader of the Black Sun organization, Prince Xizor. The Falleen leaned forward in his seat while Vader stalked back and forth, perusing the datapad in his hands. Vader could sense the alien's nervousness at the information he'd come to disseminate.

And he was smart to be nervous, because Vader was very displeased by the prince's latest update. Very displeased indeed. "What do you mean, Skywalker is not with the Rebels?" He stopped his pacing to stand directly in front of his "guest."

The Falleen opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, then took a deep breath to compose himself. "As the report states, my lord, Rogue Squadron was recently spotted on a mission to Contruum. My contact indicated that the squadron was being led by a Captain Antilles, not Commander Skywalker."

Vader narrowed his eyes as he tuned out the rest of Xizor's explanation. He knew that his son was not killed during the Battle of Hoth. He had felt it. But sure enough, Rogue Squadron was flying with a reduced flight roster, and the familiar X-wing with the Death Star silhouette was not amongst the current fighters.

Where could his son be? He would not abandon the Rebellion without a good reason. Vader was certain of it.

He could not think with Prince Xizor prattling on incessantly. Waving his hand, he cut off the alien's words, "Thank you, Prince Xizor. That will be all. Contact me when you have additional information."

The alien paused, then rose from the chair and bowed. "As you wish, my lord."

After the prince had exited his chambers, Vader settled into his meditation chamber, intent to ruminate on his son's confusing actions. As the pod closed, the helmet lifted off his head. Vader sighed in relief at the feeling of air circulating over his face. He resisted turning on the hologram that sat on the arm of his chair…he had more pressing matters to dwell on right now.

His future, not the past.

Vader closed his eyes and thought. His son was alive, he could sense it. But where was he? What was he doing away from the Alliance? What could be so important that it would take him away from commanding the infamous Rogue Squadron? When Vader had been a Jedi, nothing could have taken him away from his duty.

_When he had been a Jedi…_

Of course! His son would still have to train to be a Jedi!

But where could he have gone? Kenobi was dead, and there were no Jedi left in the galaxy to teach young Skywalker. Vader had seen to that himself.

But what if there was a Jedi alive in the galaxy? Vader didn't believe that a Jedi could have slipped through his fingers…but then again, Kenobi had hidden away in the desert for nearly twenty years. And Vader had been led to believe that his child had passed away with its mother.

No; he knew it was true. His son was learning to be a Jedi.

Vader placed his head in his hand. He was disturbed by this recent development, because it would be more difficult to turn his son to the Dark Side if he was already a Jedi.

But Vader felt something else, something he hadn't felt in many years. He was proud of his son, and what he would become.

Darth Vader remained in his meditation chamber, pondering those peculiar thoughts and emotions, for a long, long time.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Oh hey one of my favorite fic tropes. TIME JUMP. And creepy Halloween foreshadowing. BOO!_

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CHAPTER 17

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Luke stretched his arms over his head, taking in deep breaths as he allowed himself to slowly adjust to daylight after another night's sleep. A few moments later, his chrono began beeping with his usual wake-up call. Even though he never needed an alarm anymore, he still kept it turned on just in case. Yoda would never let him hear the end of it if he overslept.

Pushing aside thoughts of the upcoming day's training, Luke grabbed a clean set of clothes and changed out of his grungy sleep pants. He gave them a sniff; yes, they would definitely need to be washed soon. He glanced over at the pile of dirty clothes in the corner of his tent and cringed. Apparently washing clothes had slipped down his list of "things to do on Dagobah." No one could really blame him, though, as he was intently focused on Jedi training.

Ever since he'd first arrived on Dagobah six months ago and made an utter fool of himself, Luke vowed to work as hard as possible and prove that he really could be a Jedi. The training was stressful and demanding and the hardest thing he'd ever gone through in his life. He'd thought that being a commanding officer was hard work, but learning the ways of the Force was proving to be more difficult than he'd ever imagined.

At first, training consisted of getting his body up to full strength. Luke had always considered himself in good shape, thanks to years of working on moisture vaporators in the desert. Then he'd joined the Rebellion and kept up with Starfighter Command's recommended fitness regimen. Then he'd met Mara and worked himself even harder, his male pride refusing to let his girlfriend be fitter than he was. So when Luke had been ordered to run for four hours straight with Master Yoda strapped to his back, Luke hadn't batted an eye. It would be tough, but he would do it.

Halfway through the run, he wanted to die.

Yoda knew it and pushed him to the breaking point. Whenever Luke faltered Yoda poked him with the gimer stick. By the end of the run, Luke was ready to snap, all patience thrown out the window. When Luke returned to camp, he'd stalked off to tinker with his X-wing for the rest of the night. The following morning Yoda had ordered him to meditate for as long as the run had lasted. By the time his meditation had ended, Luke had felt sufficiently ashamed of his reaction. He was trying hard to reign in his emotions, but sometimes it just was too difficult.

But even after setbacks, he refused to give up. The physical training served its purpose and soon Luke could run for four hours without batting an eye. He found himself drawing on the Force unconsciously for strength and realized the purpose of all the physical training. Yoda was teaching him how to sense the Force around him at all times, without even being aware of it.

It was as if a whole new world had opened up to Luke.

He was stronger now, both physically and in the Force. Sometimes, when he looked in a mirror, he didn't even recognize himself. His muscles were larger. He looked older. His eyes held a wisdom he didn't truly understand. But there was still so much to learn.

Running one hand through his shaggy hair—he really needed a haircut, but didn't want to do it himself and there was no way he was letting Yoda or Artoo near his hair—he reached into his bag and pulled out his datapad. After pressing a few buttons, a hologram began playing—the hologram of Mara dancing in the Imperial Palace. He watched it intently for a few moments, then pressed another button, switching the holo. The new one showed him and her in the pilots' lounge, clutching hands while talking softly in the corner of the room. Suddenly Mara glanced up, noticing the holocam. She stalked toward the camera and yelled furiously, then punched the operator in the face, causing the holo to blank out.

Luke laughed, remembering the day that had happened. It had been only a month after they'd started dating. The next day, Luke had approached Wes Janson and asked for a copy of his holo. The other pilot handed over the recording without question.

Mara never knew that Luke had it.

For the past six months he watched it every morning when he woke up, and every night before he fell asleep. But he kept his promise and never dwelled on Mara while he was training, that is unless Yoda brought her up first. Somehow, the diminutive Jedi knew that Luke was in love and often teased him about it. It had shocked Luke at first, knowing what he did about the old Jedi's prohibition on marriage, but he'd quickly grown used to the Jedi Master's jokes. They were comforting, actually, as Luke could only assume that if Yoda could make light of the situation, then Jedi relationships were no longer forbidden.

Putting all thoughts of Mara out of his mind for the time being, Luke placed the datapad back inside his bag, grabbed his utility belt and water bottle, and exited the tent. Artoo was already outside, unplugged and waiting for him. Luke patted the droid on his dome. "How's it going, Artoo?"

Artoo made a few whirring sounds, then rocked back and forth on his two side legs. Luke rolled his eyes at the droid. He'd become much better at interpreting Artoo's beeps even without a datapad, and was quite certain that Artoo had said something derogatory about Mara. But then again, that was nothing new.

A light was on inside of Yoda's hut, as it was every morning when Luke arrived. He ducked his head to enter the room and found Yoda already sitting on the floor, eyes closed in meditation. Luke said nothing as he sat down across from the master, removing his belt to get more comfortable.

When he was settled, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. It was at that moment, as it always was, that the Jedi Master began to speak. "Sleep well you did, young Skywalker?"

"Yes, Master Yoda."

"Calming, Dagobah is. The Force, easily felt it is here."

Luke nodded, still keeping his eyes closed, lulling himself into the now-familiar feeling of meditation.

"Let the Force flow through you."

"Yes, Master." And he did, opening himself to the Force even more, suppressing a gasp as he felt its immense power coursing through his veins. It was almost overwhelming and he clamped down on his shields to keep from wavering.

He could sense Master Yoda's immediate frown. "Learn to accept the Force, you must. This is your next lesson. Strong you have grown. Feel the Force, you can. But accept it, you do not."

"What must I do, Master Yoda?"

"Gives a Jedi power, the Force does. Listen to it, we must, or pointless our power is. Let it guide you."

"I'm try—" Luke stopped his words by clearing his throat, sitting up straighter. Yoda never abided him using the word "try." "I mean, I need more practice to master that skill."

Yoda chuckled. "Heh. Grown wise you have, young Skywalker. Giving you inspiration, your Jade is?"

Luke didn't answer, but could feel himself blush profusely. Yoda laughed again. "Ah, smart woman is she. Wise choice, you have made."

Luke opened his mouth to ask a question, sensing an opening to broach the topic he'd been wanting to address, but Yoda continued speaking, cutting him off. "Let us meditate. Your strength in the Force, you must learn to feel, if to become a Jedi you are. All the power of the Force—it does not matter, if believe in yourself, you do not."

"I understand." But still Luke wondered if he'd ever be able to accept his full power of the Force, knowing what such power had done to other Jedi Knights in the past, and wanting to be nothing at all like them.

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After a full morning of meditation, Yoda decided that it was time to further clear Luke's mind. And of course the perfect way to do this was another run through the swamp. When Luke had begun his training, he'd always ran in a sleeveless shirt and foregoing his utility belt, wanting to be as comfortable as possible in the humid air. As time went on it became a habit, and Yoda had forced Luke to exercise in other, less comfortable clothing. "Allow you to take off your shoes, your enemy will not!" the master had joked. Luke had to admit that Yoda had a point, although he'd thought of more than a few colorful complaints when running through vines and over logs in sweltering heat while wearing a jacket and bogged down with various weapons.

Even though Mara had made him promise not to think of her while he was training, he found that picturing her laughing in his face always caused him to run faster. He didn't think she'd mind him breaking the rules in this case.

Luke ran through the swamp, swinging on vines and somersaulting over various logs. Yoda talked the entire time, as he always did, speaking about the Force and a Jedi's connection to it. But this time, Yoda began to broach one of the newer topics in Luke's training—the Dark Side.

And as he ran Luke could almost feel a shift in the Force, as if the dark was growing stronger and the light was shrinking. In all his training he'd never before ventured this far away from Yoda's hut, and wondered if there was something here that the master wanted him to see.

"Run, yes! A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression, the dark side of the Force are they," Yoda advised. "Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. But once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

Luke paused to take a breath, pushing down anger that threatened to rise inside of him. "Vader. Is the Dark Side stronger?"

Yoda shook his head. "No. Quicker, easier, more seductive."

Luke began running again, feeling the pull of darkness even more than before. "But how am I to know the good side from the bad?"

"You will know when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." With that, Yoda indicated that it was time to stop. Luke unstrapped the backpack and set Yoda down on the ground, although he knew that the Jedi Master would be able to do so by himself. Yoda led Luke through a slow meditation to calm his body and clear his mind.

When Luke opened his eyes, Yoda was staring at him intently. He took the opportunity to ask a question he'd wanted to know the answer to for many years, ever since he'd learned that Darth Vader had once been a Jedi, and had later killed his father. "Master Yoda…why did Vader turn to the Dark Side?"

Yoda dropped his head and sighed, leaning heavily on his walking stick. Luke could sense that the topic brought the Jedi great sadness, but refused to back down. "I must know, Master Yoda. He killed my father."

"That he did," Yoda murmured. "That he did." He stared into nothingness for a few more moments, then met Luke's gaze again, his eyes full of sorrow and regret. "A long story, that is. For another time."

"But—"

"Another time, young Skywalker." Luke nodded. There was no arguing with the Jedi Master. And either way, Luke would make sure that he eventually learned the truth. "Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions." Yoda hobbled off in the opposite direction from where they'd come, and Luke followed without question. They were heading toward a huge, dead-looking black tree, its base surrounded by a few feet of water. Its large roots formed a cave in one side.

It was the convergence of darkness.

Luke stopped suddenly, wary to move forward. "There's something not right here. I feel cold…death." Yoda did not answer. He merely looked at Luke, then back to the tree.

In that moment, Luke realized that he was about to face his next big test—to confront the darkness inside himself. He met Yoda's gaze in question, and the master nodded gravely. "That place is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

Luke forced himself not to tense, to remain calm as a Jedi should be. _A Jedi does not know fear. _"What's in there?"

"Only what you take with you."

Luke glanced between his master and the cave. With a nod of determination, he stepped toward the cave.

"Your weapons," Yoda called out, "you will not need them."

Luke glanced at the Jedi once more, nodded in understanding, but continued forward without taking off his belt.

He reached the tree and pushed aside long vines so he could climb inside the gnarled cave. He trekked down the slope, finding more of Dagobah's familiar landscape and creatures inside the cave. Ignoring a snake by his foot, Luke continued further into the darkness.

As the ground began to level out, a prickling feeling caused his hand to drop to his belt. Almost as if he was in a dream, Luke removed his lightsaber and held it in front of him, but still unlit. He walked a few more meters until an unnerving sound forced him to stumble backwards in disbelief.

And then Darth Vader turned the corner, stalking toward Luke in absolute fury.

Luke brought his lightsaber up fast, but if felt as if he was moving through water. His moves were slow, dreamlike. In the furthest recesses of his mind, something reminded Luke that this _was_ only a dream, but it did not matter. Not when his father's murderer finally stood in front of him. For so long he'd dreamt of justice…and now it would be his.

Ignoring Yoda's words about never using the Force for attack, Luke was the first to ignite his blade, the one that had once belonged to his father. The Sith Lord echoed the gesture, the blood red of his saber reflecting eerily off his ebony armor.

Luke slashed his lightsaber with all his power but the Sith Lord blocked the attack easily, pounding against Luke's blade with inhuman strength. But Luke stood his guard, thinking only of avenging his father's death. They exchanged several blows. Then, almost too quick for Luke to believe, he ducked down, avoiding Vader's strike, and as he rose his lightsaber sliced cleanly through the Sith Lord's neck. The helmet rolled across the ground, coming to a stop face up. Luke stared at it, completely entranced.

He didn't blink an eye as the helmet exploded open, his lightsaber still gripped tightly in both hands. When the smoke cleared, all Luke could see was his face staring back at him.

His face, in Darth Vader's helmet. His father's murderer.

His face.

His.

He nearly stumbled as he remembered words Mara had once said to him while they were training, words she had uttered in pure innocence, only because she was in awe of his power, not realizing how much it affected him—

_You feel just like Vader._


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

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Another day, another meeting, another impending mission. It was business as usual in the Alliance, and for that Leia was happy. Her life had been strangely normal ever since the Battle of Hoth—well, as normal as her life could be as a member of Alliance Command. There'd been a few minor skirmishes but nothing close to the scale of that terrible battle. She'd been on too many missions to count as the Alliance changed tactics to gain supporters on what had once been Separatist planets. Leia had recently returned from a mission to the planet Serenno and was expected to receive her next assignment at this meeting.

But she didn't mind. It wasn't like there were many other things to do in the Alliance.

Mara was participating in this meeting as a representative from Intelligence, which pleased Leia. The two women had grown close since Luke left to train as a Jedi, and Leia felt like they had become true friends. They'd spent many hours talking about Luke, trying to get over missing him. Mara hardly ever showed her true emotions—just how much she was missing her boyfriend—but somehow Leia could tell anyway.

And Leia found that she missed Luke just as much. She'd expected that he would create a huge void in the Alliance, but this was different, more personal.

And once again she had no idea what it meant.

Leia had just finished giving her report on the mission to Serenno when General Cracken directed everyone's attention to the new mission report. "As you can see, we have a very unique opportunity presented to us. It's not an understatement to say that this opportunity could greatly benefit the Rebellion."

Leia glanced down at the new file on her datapad. "How did we come upon this contact, general?"

"He contacted us, actually."

"And we can trust him?"

"I believe so. As you can see, there's a tibanna gas facility on the planet Bespin, in the system of the same name. The administrator of the facility, Lando Calrissian, has striven to keep the facility independent of the Empire. Recently the Empire has been encroaching on neutral territory. He wants to offer the Rebellion a large percentage of tibanna gas, in exchange for our protection."

Leia and Mara shared a glance. They were thinking the same thing, that this situation sounded much too good to be true. But as they'd all learned, being in the Alliance was all about taking risks.

Leia turned her attention back to General Cracken and Chief Mothma. "This is a wonderful opportunity. I can assume that you'd like for me to liaise with Administrator Calrissian?"

Cracken nodded. "Yes councilor, if you are up for this mission."

Leia grinned. "I always am."

"Excuse me, general," a smarmy, almost melodic voice cut in. It was Borsk Fey'lya, one of the newest members of Alliance Command. He had defected to the Alliance, along with a large group of the Bothan spy network, and had already proven to be a very beneficial addition to Alliance leadership.

But he was one of the most annoying and infuriating beings Leia had ever had the displeasure of meeting.

"Is it a smart idea to send Councilor Organa on this mission? After all, she is very recognizable and her talents could be more useful back at the fleet."

Chief Mothma answered for Cracken. "Princess Leia will be going on this mission. The matter is not up for discussion."

Fey'lya nodded in capitulation. "Of course, ma'am." He gestured for Cracken to continue and Leia had to roll her eyes at his presumption.

Cracken smiled thinly before turning his attention to Leia. "We'd like for Lieutenant Jade to accompany you. We believe that her talents will be very beneficial during this mission."

Leia and Mara shared another knowing glance. Leia knew exactly what special talents Cracken was referring to but she suppressed her smile, wanting to preserve Mara's secret about her Force sensitivity.

"Of course, General," Mara replied, the picture of obedience. Leia often marveled at how the former Imperial Intelligence operative could shift from obedient soldier to defiant spitfire in the blink of an eye. For not the first time, Leia wondered what Mara's life had been like in the Empire.

"We're still in the process securing your transport. Once that happens, we'll transmit the final plans to your datapads."

"Excuse me, General," Mara interrupted, "but I'm more than capable of flying a transport. Princess Leia and I would be fine traveling alone."

"I'm sure that is true, Lieutenant, but we feel more comfortable if the two of you have an escort."

"But—"

Chief Mothma straightened in her chair and spoke up in her soft, melodic voice. "Please do not take this personally, Lieutenant. It's always risky when making contact with a potential new ally. We are only thinking of your safety."

Mara paused for a moment, then dropped her head in capitulation. "I understand, ma'am."

General Cracken spoke up again. "We'd also like Princess Leia to bring her protocol droid, to record the proceedings."

"Yes, sir," Leia responded.

Chief Mothma nodded. "If everything is settled, then we will adjourn the meeting." With that the meeting broke up, and Leia found herself alone with Mara.

The redhead's eyes twinkled. "So, you and me, together again. I wonder how much trouble we can get into."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you'd ever purposefully get into trouble on a mission."

"Hey, I did defy a direct order on Hoth."

Leia laughed. "Right, a direct order from Luke. That doesn't count. Anyway, I need to go read some reports before we leave. Would you like to meet for dinner tonight?"

"I'm supposed to eat with Winter; I'll bring her along."

"Sounds good. See you later."

"See you."

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After saying good-bye to Leia Mara headed off to find Wedge, wanting to inform him of her impending absence. She found him with Tycho in the sims and joined them for a few rounds.

Wedge had done an admirable job keeping the Rogues' spirits up since Luke's departure. He was more than competent at being their commanding officer and Mara felt confident following him into battle, just as she had with Luke. Tycho had taken on Wedge's former role as XO, which suited the Alderaanian's meticulous nature.

Mara grinned as she exited the sim, listening to Tycho and Wedge grouse at each other over who had flown better. When their arguments finally died down, Mara cleared her throat. "So, Captain Antilles, I just wanted to let you know that they're taking me away from you again for a few days."

Wedge groaned. "Why did I suggest to Luke that you should transfer to intelligence?"

She clasped her hand on his arm. "Because you're a good friend."

"Yeah, and how does he repay me? By making me baby-sit Wes for six months."

Mara chuckled. "Hey, it's not that bad. How much kitchen duty have you given him this month?"

"Actually, I've changed my tactics in regards to punishment. I'm now delegating all my paperwork to him."

"Ooh. That's brutal, Antilles."

"I know. It was Celchu's idea."

Mara threw her head back and laughed. "Nice one, Tycho."

Tycho smiled. "Anything to keep Wedge from giving me all the paperwork."

Mara smiled back. "I got a mission coming up with Leia. They're sending us to Bespin for a few days. We just have to go in, start negotiations, and then head out. It shouldn't take too long."

"Sure." Wedge snorted. "Famous last words."

Mara shoved his arm. "Be nice. Anyway, I wanted to give you the heads-up in person."

"Thanks. Who's flying you guys?"

"They haven't decided that yet. I told them I could fly whatever transport they give us, but they said no, wanted us to have an escort. Safety in numbers and all that bantha shavit."

"I gotta agree with them there." Wedge glanced at Tycho. "I wish we could escort you, but we don't have enough fighters to go around as it is right now."

"Yeah, I already thought to ask one of you guys to fly us, but figured they'd say no."

Tycho clasped Mara's arm. "Everything will be fine."

"I'm sure it will." After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Mara said good-bye to her friends and left the sim room to start packing her belongings. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, thinking instead of the impending mission, not to mention wondering how things were going with Luke, when she ran smack into Han Solo.

Both of them stopped short, surprised to see the other, before instantly composing themselves. Han inclined his head. "Jade."

Mara mimicked his gesture. "Solo." She'd run into Han several times over the past six months, whenever he was on _Home One_ delivering supplies for the Alliance. She no longer wanted to punch him in the face whenever she saw him and could sense that he deeply regretted his actions that led to leaving the Alliance. But he was much too stubborn to talk to Leia like a normal person, and even if he did Leia was much too proud to accept an apology or explanation, especially after so long had passed.

Mara managed a somewhat genuine smile. "This the second time in a month you've been onboard. Business not going well for you?"

Han shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? You guys are steady work."

Mara cocked a brow. "Right."

"All right, fine. To be honest, Chewie and me have been having trouble acquiring business. It seems that being wanted by both Jabba the Hutt and the Empire is keeping us on the persona non grata list."

Mara's eyes widened. "You still haven't paid Jabba yet? What the hell are you waiting for, Solo?"

"Hey, it takes awhile to save up that much credit, okay?"

"That's a lame excuse."

"Hey, I'm trying my best. What else do you want from me?"

"It's not what I want that's important. It's what Leia wants."

"Oh, sure. 'Cause you know she's just jumping out of her skin to talk to me."

"You'd be surprised."

"Sure, Jade."

Mara rolled her eyes. "As fun as this conversation is, I gotta get going. Mission prep."

"Mission prep? Where're ya going?"

"What do you care?"

Han placed his hand over his heart, feigning offense. "You know I care, Jade."

Mara rolled her eyes. "I'm going on a mission with Leia. A tibanna gas facility wants protection from the Empire in exchange for a large percentage of their products."

"Sounds beneficial."

"Very."

Han leaned against the wall, trying to look casual but failing miserably. "So…you're traveling with the Princess, huh?"

"Yeah."

"And where is this magical tibanna gas facility?"

"I don't know why I'm even telling you this, but it's on Bespin."

Han's eyes widened. "Bespin?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Who're you meeting with?"

"The administrator of the facility."

"You mean Calrissian?"

Now it was Mara's turn to be surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know that?"

Han grinned. "'Cause I know him. We go way back, Lando and me."

"Really? And just how do you know the administrator of a tibanna gas facility?"

"He wasn't always so respectable, ya know. He's a card player, gambler, smuggler. You know, a scoundrel, like me."

"Sounds like a fine specimen."

Han scowled.

"Can we trust him?"

"Yeah. He has no love for the Empire, that's for sure."

"That's good to know."

"Who's flying you two?"

"Don't know that yet. I told Cracken that I could fly, but they shot down that idea."

Han nodded, looking thoughtful. "Huh."

Mara narrowed her eyes. "What are you thinking, Solo?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

He started to turn away but Mara grabbed his arm. "Han. What are you doing?"

"You two need an escort. I got a ship and nothing to do for the next several weeks. I'm sure Cracken would be more than pleased to have the _Falcon_ escort you two lovely ladies again. And you'd get the added benefit of Chewbacca."

"Han, Leia will kill you if you do this!"

He was already halfway down the corridor, but turned around and gave her a wink. "She might. But at least she'll have to talk to me."

Mara shook her head in disgust as Han walked away. Great. Now she was going to be stuck on the _Falcon _with the two of them bickering with each other. Just like old times.

She allowed herself a smile as she thought of how annoyed Han would be when he learned Threepio was coming along, and hoped that little piece of information was kept from him until it was time to leave.

He deserved it, after all.

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It was 2100 and Mara was finally making her way back to her quarters for the night. She'd gotten held up with meetings and was ready for much needed sleep.

Of course, when she entered her room she was greeted by a round of furtive tweets coming from her astromech.

"Shh!" Mara admonished automatically, not wanting to wake Winter, but thankfully her roommate was nowhere to be found. Mara grinned as she imagined where the blonde woman could be at this late hour, and hoped that she was in the company of another blond Alderaanian.

Red ignored her chastisement and rocked back and forth on both legs. He was hooked up to the room's computer terminal and seemed very annoyed. "What is it?"

In answer Red beeped insistently. Mara finally gave up and crossed to the computer terminal to read the translation. _YOU ARE GOING ON ANOTHER MISSION._

Mara suppressed a grimace. Her droid had been ecstatic when Luke left for Jedi training with Artoo, and since then had demanded more than his fair share of Mara's attention. Unfortunately she'd been called away on missions quite often and Red had been feeling neglected.

Mara marveled at the fact that droids could have such human emotions, when she still had trouble accepting her own feelings.

She took a deep breath, tired and unwilling to deal with an insulted astromech at this late hour. "Yes, Red. I have to go to a place called Bespin with Princess Leia."

_HER PROTOCOL DROID IS ACCOMPANYING YOU._

"Yes. We need Threepio there to record the meetings."

_I CAN DO THAT._

"I'm sure you can, Red, but they specifically asked for Threepio to accompany us. I'm sorry."

There was another tweet as Mara turned away. She glanced back down at the terminal. _TAKE ME WITH YOU. I CAN BE C-3PO'S BACK-UP._

Mara groaned. "Red, I don't think that's a good idea. They need you here, to work with the X-wings."

_BUT YOUR X-WING WILL NOT BE GOING ANYWHERE IF YOU ARE ON BESPIN._

"Red—"

_YOU ARE MY MISTRESS AND I SHOULD BE ACCOMPANYING YOU ON ALL YOUR MISSIONS. AM I NOT PERFORMING TO YOUR STANDARDS?_

Mara crouched down in front of the astromech and patted his dome. "Red, you know that's not true." She sighed. There was no getting out of this. "Okay. I'll ask if you can come."

_THERE IS NO NEED. I ALREADY TRANSMITTED THE REQUEST TO STARFIGHTER COMMAND AND IT WAS APPROVED._

Mara shook her head and grinned. "See? And you say you're nothing like Artoo."

She ignored the explosion of plaintive whistles and beeps as she unhooked Red from the computer terminal and escorted him out of her room.

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Han Solo had made Leia Organa angry many times since they'd met, but this had definitely taken the rhyscate.

She'd thought that she could never be angrier than when she'd learned that he was going to leave the Alliance after they'd…after their mission to Ord Mantell. His actions were infuriating and she'd seriously considered "borrowing" Luke's lightsaber to perform some elective surgery on the Corellian smuggler. And then he'd escorted her off Hoth, like some holostar action hero, and had almost seemed apologetic about his actions toward her.

Not that it mattered, because she would never allow him close to her again. She'd already made that mistake and nobody ever fooled Leia Organa more than once. He could grovel on his knees, for all she cared.

He would never do such a thing, even if he did want her back. He just enjoyed antagonizing her.

Which was why, when Leia learned that Han Solo would be transporting her and Mara to Bespin onboard the _Millennium Falcon_, she let out the biggest tirade of curses she could ever remember coming out of her mouth. Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to shut herself in the closest 'fresher before doing so, although General Cracken had flinched at the daggers in Leia's eyes when he told her.

Han'd done this on purpose; she was certain. He'd flounced back into the Alliance on a merry whim, saw an opening to drive her absolutely insane, and took it as he always had. This was a very important mission and Han was trying to ruin it with his mere presence.

How did he always succeed in antagonizing her so well?

Leia argued and argued against Han's presence on the mission, saying he wasn't trustworthy, but Alliance Command wouldn't have it. They said that Han's track record spoke for itself and the group was ordered to leave the following morning.

She hardly got any sleep that night. When she did, she dreamt of strangling Han to death.

Now, as she boarded the _Millennium Falcon _for the first time in six months and prepared for an extended period of time spent in close quarters with Captain Solo, she allowed herself one small victory. The look of disgust on Han's face when he saw that Threepio was coming along was almost enough to make the trip worthwhile.

Han gave her one of his lopsided grins as she trudged onto the ship behind the two droids, and she glared at him in return. Behind her, Mara suppressed a chuckle.

Yes. It was _almost_ worthwhile.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Yoda-speak is hard!

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CHAPTER 19

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The past several days on Dagobah had been tense and awkward. Luke refused to speak about the vision in the cave. All he'd say was that he failed in his lesson and needed more training.

He couldn't shake the vision of his face in Vader's helmet. The idea that he could be like the man who'd killed his father...it repulsed him to the core. He wanted to believe that he could never be like Vader or the Emperor, but knew better. No matter what Palpatine was, Vader had once been a Jedi. He'd been friends with both his father and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and had ended up killing them both.

How could Luke possibly be so arrogant as to believe that such a fate wasn't possible for him?

Yoda, sensing Luke's deep anguish, allowed Luke to avoid the issue for a while. Luke was now proficient enough with his lightsaber to hold his own in a duel and he'd become proficient in many other Force skills. But something was missing, and Luke was more reticent than ever to reach out for the full power of the Force.

After two days of avoiding the issue, Yoda decided that Luke was going to talk, whether he liked it or not.

It happened during his regular morning meditation. "Troubled you are, young Skywalker."

"Yes, Master Yoda." Luke found no reason to deny the accusation. Yoda could obviously feel Luke's emotions.

"Talk about it, we will."

"I'm afraid."

"A bigger issue, that is, than the problem itself."

Luke nodded. "I understand." Once again, he was surprised by how easily he bowed to Master Yoda's requests. It seemed his Jedi training had changed him, after all.

But had it changed him for the better? That was the heart of the issue.

Luke opened his eyes to find Yoda staring at him intently. "Tell me your feelings, young Luke."

"Okay." Luke traced a line on the floor of the hut as he gathered his thoughts. Despite his initial misgivings Yoda had proven to be a kind and wise Jedi Master. He was incredibly strong in the Force and never took his power for granted. He pushed Luke hard, but was never cruel. During down times, Luke often found himself listening to Yoda reminisce about the Republic and the Jedi Order. His tone was often regretful, yet never depressed.

Most importantly, it was clear that Yoda believed that Luke could greatly affect the fate of the galaxy. Like Mara, Yoda believed that Luke, once a fully trained Jedi, could overthrow Palpatine and Vader.

Once again Luke had the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. He didn't want to let anyone down.

So he told Yoda about his vision in the Dark Side cave—his duel with Vader and seeing his face staring back at him from inside Vader's helmet.

The Jedi Master listened without interruption. When Luke was done, Yoda cocked his head. "Understand your failure in the cave, you do."

"Yes, Master."

"Good, that is."

Luke furrowed his brow. "But…I failed. I failed the test. I attacked, just like you said not to."

"Make mistakes, we all do. Never made one in my life, do you think?"

"No, but—"

"Wrong, even the wisest Jedi can be. Know this well, I do. Get in the way of your training, mistakes should not."

"Yes, but…I'm still afraid."

"Mmm. Afraid of becoming like Vader, you are?"

"Yes."

"Fear the Dark Side, you do."

Luke nodded sadly. "I always thought that I would never, ever be tempted by the Dark Side. Vader killed my father and the rest of the Jedi, the Empire had destroyed Alderaan. My family was killed. I dedicated my life to defeating the Empire and overthrowing its evil. But then…" He trailed off, uncertain how to continue.

"What is it, young Skywalker?"

Luke glanced away again. "You know who Mara is."

"Close to you, she is." He didn't miss the twinkle in Master Yoda's eye.

"Yes. We're very close. But there are things about her you don't know."

"Served the Emperor, she did."

Luke's eyes widened incredulously. "How did you know that?"

"Grand Master of the Jedi Order, I was. Some insight, I had to have."

"Right." Of course Yoda would have known. After all, he had known all about Luke's impatience and recklessness… "Anyway, yes. She was the Emperor's Hand. She was very close to him. And she knew Vader, too. After she joined the Alliance, there were times when she taught me about the Force. She always told me how powerful I felt…that I felt as powerful as Palpatine."

"Bother you, that did?"

"Yes! How could it not? The Emperor is a monster! How could she ever think that I could be like him?"

"Not what she said, that is."

"I know…but she said other things, too. Things that bothered me even more."

"Such as?"

"She told me that I felt just like Vader." He said the words quickly, trying not to think on them as he spoke. He still shuddered anyway.

Yoda paused, looking thoughtful. "Interesting, this is. Very interesting."

"What does it mean, Master Yoda? Does it mean I will end up like him? He killed my father. I _can't_be like him!"

"Worry too much, you do. End up like Vader, you will not, if listen to the Force you do."

"But I still feel so unsure."

"Unwilling to live up to your full potential, you are. Holding you back, your fear is. Never be a Jedi, will you, if continue on this path you do."

Luke sighed, still so incredibly confused about his vision. He also worried about the other issue, the one he hadn't yet had the opportunity to discuss with Master Yoda. Since he'd already brought up Mara, he figured that now was his best chance. "I do have one other question, Master Yoda."

"Yes, young Luke."

"Mara…is it wrong for me to love her?"

"Think that, why would you?"

"I thought the old Jedi weren't permitted to marry."

"Correct, you are. But an old rule, that was."

"So it no longer applies?"

"Existed for a reason, the rule did. The reason was valid, but the implementation…flawed, it was. Blind, we became, and arrogant. No, it is not wrong to love. Central to a Jedi's life, love is."

"What was the reason for the rule in the first place?"

Yoda paused again, a grave expression on his face. When he began speaking again, his voice far away, as if in memory. "Wrong for a Jedi, love is not. Love all life, a Jedi must—yes, even the Emperor. Even Vader. Sets us apart, our compassion does.

"But attachment…attachment leads to jealousy, the inability to let go. Must be able to let go, a Jedi must. A Jedi must be able to accept loss, or be tempted by the Dark Side, you will be. Loving others, wrong it is not. But only if able to let them go, you are."

"So you're telling me that I need to be able to sacrifice the people I love? How can I do that? I thought Jedi were supposed to protect all life."

"Not if against the Will of the Force, one must act."

"I don't understand."

"Consider this, young Skywalker. If sacrifice yourself, you must, for the good of the galaxy…would you?"

Luke remembered back to a time long ago, when Leia had asked him the same question. As it had been then, Luke answered quickly, without even having to consider the question. "Of course."

"And, if sacrifice your loved ones, you must?"

That question was not so easy to answer. "Shouldn't I do my best to protect my friends? To save them."

"Work to save others, a Jedi always should. But if the will of the Force it is to let go of a loved one, able to let that happen, would you be?"

Luke opened his mouth, closed it. He loved his friends with all his heart and couldn't imagine living without them. But then again, he'd lost four of his pilots in the Battle of Hoth. He'd lost Biggs at the Battle of Yavin. He'd lost his aunt and uncle. He still loved them all, but he'd been able to move on after all those losses.

He still didn't know the answer, but he responded as honestly as he could. As a Jedi. "I would listen to the Force."

Yoda nodded, pleased. "And that, young Skywalker, makes all the difference."

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Later on in the day, Yoda led Luke through his regular levitation exercises. They were in a clearing by the lake where he'd first landed on Dagobah, where his X-wing was still halfway hidden by the murky water and sinking lower every day. It was one of the main areas where Yoda liked to train.

Luke was standing on his hands, balancing Master Yoda on his feet as he stretched out into the Force for power and serenity. He was better than ever at splitting his concentration and was being challenged every day with adding another object to the mix. He'd come a long way since summoning Mara's bag across his quarters. His arms still shook and his balance occasionally wobbled, stronger in the Force than ever. These instances of controlling the Force—when he was physically doing something—were easy for Luke to understand. It kept his mind off his vision in the cave and his misgivings about resisting the darkness.

"Use the Force, yes," Master Yoda commanded. Without hesitation, Luke lifted an arm from the ground, balancing smoothly on one hand. He reached into the Force for the strength to hold on.

Satisfied, Yoda had him add more objects to the fray. "Now, the stone."

Luke did as requested, picturing the flat stones around him on the ground. He could picture and feel them clearly in his mind and through the Force. He pulled on those tenuous Force threads and did not need to open his eyes to confirm that the stone had begun to rise.

"Feel it, yes," Yoda murmured in soft, encouraging tones. With pinpoint precision, Luke lowered the stone onto another, this being the fifth stone in a tower he'd slowly built. Once it was lowered, he prepared himself to lift the next stone in the circle.

But suddenly Artoo began beeping like crazy and rocked back and forth on his legs, indicating that something was going horribly wrong. Ignoring the droid for a moment, Luke settled himself, lowering his hand and Master Yoda to the ground. He righted himself rather ungracefully, but at least he'd saved himself the embarrassment of dropping Master Yoda on the ground. Once he was upright he glanced to Artoo, but the droid merely beeped mournfully, dome pointed toward the lake.

The lake that was now missing an X-wing.

Luke groaned, unable to conceal his disgust. For months now Luke had argued that he needed to move the X-wing to more stable ground, but Yoda simply replied that it was unnecessary. For the time being, Luke had no need for a ship. He needed to learn to focus on the here and now.

Luke had acquiesced, accepting Yoda's argument, but he'd never felt entirely comfortable leaving his ship in the water. After a month or so, he'd managed to push the disquiet out of his mind, hoping that, when the time came to leave, his training in the Force would help him find a solution.

And now it was too late. "We'll never get it out now," he nearly whined. His old recklessness rose to the surface and he silently cursed Master Yoda for convincing him to leave his X-wing in the swamp. He'd flown the snubfighter since Yavin—it had a Death Star silhouette on its hull, for Force sakes! He suddenly didn't care what Master Yoda said about attachment; he felt as close to his X-wing as he did to Artoo. He could always fly another X-wing, but it wouldn't be the same. And he was never going to fly another X-wing if he couldn't figure out how to get the hell off this planet.

Master Yoda hadn't moved from where Luke had gently placed him on the ground. "So certain are you?" his steady voice called out, bringing Luke's attention back to him. Yoda stared at the ground and sighed. "Forget already, our earlier discussion? Hear you nothing that I say?"

Luke gaped and pointed at the lake. Was the Jedi Master actually suggesting that it was possible for Luke to lift the X-wing out of the water? Sure, Luke might doubt himself from time to time, but there was absolutely no way he could do this.

He shook his head. "Master, moving stones around is one thing. I'm good at that now! But this…this is totally different!"

"No!" Yoda pounded his gimer stick against the ground. "No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

Luke's eyes widened. Yoda was actually serious. He actually wanted him to try to levitate the X-wing. There was nothing else he could do. "All right, I'll give it a try."

He cringed as soon as he said the word, but it was too late. "No!" Yoda's voice resounded across the swamp. "Try not. Do, or do not."

Luke mouthed the words along with him. _"There is no try."_

Taking a deep breath, Luke turned back toward the lake, closing his eyes in complete concentration. He still didn't believe that he could do this, but he had no choice now. He would do it, or he wouldn't. Perhaps…perhaps he'd surprise himself.

Lifting his arm, Luke stretched into the Force, reaching for the X-wing as he would the stones he'd previously been levitating. He could feel the ship, connected to him through the energy field of the Force, and pulled along those threads to increase the connection. The threads tightened as they strengthened, and Luke pictured the X-wing rising out of the swamp.

To his complete surprise the water began to churn, a telltale sign that he was actually doing it. He was actually lifting the X-wing! And it wasn't hard at all.

But after the ship had lifted only a few meters, Luke's control began to slip. He tried to open himself more to the Force, but again the immense power overwhelmed him and he shied away. It was the worst thing he could do, and whatever control he had over the X-wing slipped completely out of his hands.

It was just too big, too far out of his power.

Artoo gave a mournful trill as the X-wing settled down into the lake. Luke opened his eyes and found he was completely out of breath, as if he had just finished another marathon running session with Master Yoda on his back. Actually, he felt worse. He shook his head at himself as he picked his way across the swamp to collapse on the ground across from Master Yoda. "I can't." He panted, trying to catch his breath. "It's too big."

"Size matters not," Yoda immediately returned. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?" Luke gave a rueful smile, remembering his first day on Dagobah, when he had done exactly that.

Master Yoda frowned and continued. "And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

Leaning on his walking stick, Yoda paced back and forth in front of Luke, his attention seemingly everywhere at once—on Luke, on animals around them, on the X-wing, on Artoo, even on the Force itself. "Life creates it, and makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we"—he poked Luke on the arm, to make his point—"not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Yes," he answered Luke's questioning expression, "even between the land and the ship."

Luke blew out a breath, still believing this task to be impossible. He stood without saying a word and walked back to the lake, contemplating a way to get the X-wing out of the swamp. Perhaps with enough rope…but how would that help the situation? There wasn't any sort of equipment to lift the X-wing, so what good would rope do?

_What good_ would _rope do, Skywalker? You have the Force. Use it._

The voice was crystal clear in his mind and he startled upon hearing it, glancing around for the source. But he was alone. The voice didn't belong to Obi-Wan, nor Yoda. It wasn't Mara, chastising him in his imagination again.

No. It was his own voice.

Luke suddenly remembered the vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Hoth, and how his old mentor had told him he had to believe in himself if he was to become a Jedi. That was one of Master Yoda's most common lessons, and the one that seemed to be the hardest to learn. He had a good reason for shying away from his power, but not believing in himself could lead him straight along the path to the Dark Side. How could he resist the darkness if he couldn't trust the Force to guide him along the right path?

Mara had always said that Luke could be as powerful as Palpatine. She'd said that Luke felt just like Vader. He'd often wondered how she could make such horrible comparisons and not be disgusted with him.

Perhaps it was because Mara knew Luke like nobody else. She had seen down to the very bottom of his soul and knew what was there—not darkness, but light. She, of all people, would know the difference.

Everybody else in Luke's life always believed in him. Perhaps, it was time for him to do the same.

With newfound determination, he raised his arm and closed his eyes.

He reached out for the X-wing exactly as before, was able to lift it a few meters before hitting the same block as before. But this time, instead of giving up, he opened himself further to the Force. He felt an influx of power and embraced it, accepting its guidance and power.

And it wasn't overwhelming at all. The Force was there, whispering in his ear, offering him guidance and power. Always promising to lead him on the proper path if only he would listen. The Force would always be with him, guiding the way.

How he felt now…this was right. This was _meant_. Destiny—whatever poets wanted to call it. He'd been born to wield the Force this way.

This was the final piece to the puzzle. It was like seeing again after being blind, like an entire universe being born.

How had he ever resisted this?

Luke didn't need to open his eyes to know that the X-wing was hovering over the lake and floating toward land. He didn't need to hear it, either; he could _feel _it. He could feel it in the Force that flowed through him, as it always had.

And the power he felt inside him was true light, blindingly brilliant, and Luke knew with every fiber of his being that he would never, _ever_ be swayed by the Dark Side. The Dark Side could never be more powerful than this. This…this was life itself.

He was panting with euphoria when the X-wing connected with solid ground and Luke finally allowed himself to open his eyes. On instinct he returned to Master Yoda, who was regarding him with a blank expression. He fell to his knees, not because his Master required it, but out of respect.

He was tired, dead tired…but it was a good feeling.

He glanced up, met Yoda's gaze. "I didn't believe," he managed to choke out between breaths. "But now I finally understand."

Yoda hobbled forward and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Done well you have, my young apprentice." And then he smiled.

He left Luke there, panting on the ground. Luke didn't move for a long time.

For the first time in his life…he felt like a Jedi.


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

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"Red! I do not believe that Captain Solo will appreciate you tinkering with his ship!"

Mara glanced up from the dejarik table and suppressed a smile at the loud blast of indignant tweets emitted from her astromech. _Like master, like droid_ was proving to be very true in their case.

"Yes, I understand that the _Millennium Falcon_ is not the most superior of starships, but Captain Solo is very particular." Threepio sounded exasperated. "You would do best to detach yourself from the ship's computer."

Red blew another raspberry but reluctantly rolled away from the terminal. He spun his dome, searching for his mistress. Mara grimaced. "Unfortunately, Threepio is correct. Solo hates when people mess with the _Falcon._

Red tweeted a question. Mara tilted her head at Threepio for translation. "Red states that you and Princess Leia told him to annoy Captain Solo as much as possible. I'm sorry, Lieutenant Jade, is that statement truthful? Because if so I can also offer my services in annoying Captain Solo—"

Mara pushed herself to a standing position and held out a hand to silence the golden droid. "Okay, both of you—forget this conversation ever happened. You can power down for the remainder of the flight." There were only a few hours left until they arrived on Bespin and both droids had done their best, intentionally and not, to annoy every passenger on the _Millennium Falcon._ And Mara was ready for a break.

Besides, Han had been locked inside the cockpit for the past several hours.

With a sigh, Mara left the hold and walked through the winding corridor to the cockpit. For the past two days Han and Leia had been abnormally polite, which in Mara's opinion was much more disturbing than them shouting at each other. It was clear that Leia still harbored feelings for Han, as much as she wanted to ignore the man completely. Mara didn't blame Leia one bit for being angry, but ignoring the situation wasn't helping. She wanted to lock them in a room until they either talked out their problems or kriffed each other senseless.

At least they could talk to each other. It'd been six months and Luke was still gone. She missed him more every day, even though she tried not to keep him out of her thoughts as much as possible. She had things to do, missions to accomplish. That wouldn't happen if she was dwelling on her boyfriend like some lovesick teenager.

She tried to forget the fact that, as a matter of fact, she _was_ a lovesick teenager.

She got to the cockpit and pushed the thoughts of Luke out of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she rapped quietly on the door and palmed open the door, not bothering to wait for permission to enter.

Han turned quickly at the noise, an odd expression on his face upon seeing Mara enter the cockpit and take a seat in Chewbacca's chair. It was a combination of relief and disappointment. Mara kept her expression neutral as she examined the navigation console. "How much longer until we come out of hyperspace?"

Han checked one of the instruments. "Two hours. It'll be nighttime in Cloud City by the time we arrive, just as Command requested."

Mara nodded. "Good." While Intelligence was confident that Baron Calrissian was genuine in his desire to join the Alliance, they could never be too careful. "So how long has it been since you've seen Calrissian?"

Han shrugged. "I dunno—a couple years? We've both been pretty busy."

"I can imagine." Between Han's experiences as a smuggler and then his involvement in the Alliance, not to mention Calrissian's employment as Baron of Cloud City, it would have been hard for them to maintain regular contact. "Still…are you certain he'll remember you?"

Han gave a rather amused-sounding snort. "Oh, yeah. He'll remember me."

Mara eyed him cautiously. "That doesn't sound very good, Solo."

"Don't worry. Everything'll be fine. Chewie's here."

"Han, is there a reason to be worried about this mission? Because if there is I'm going to insist that we turn around and head back to _Home One_—"

"Calm down, Jade!" Han was laughing outwardly now, shutting Mara up, but she still glared at him, demanding explanation. "Lando and me've had some problems in the past, but I'm sure he's over it by now."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "Over _what_, Solo?"

"…I may have won the _Falcon _from him in a game of sabacc."

Mara's jaw dropped open. "You stole his ship?"

"Shh!" Han hushed her, waving his arms like some kind of nervous avian. "Leia doesn't need to know about that. And I didn't steal it. I _won_ my choice of ships and chose the _Falcon_. There's a big difference."

"Right," Mara scoffed. "I'm sure you'd feel the same way if I won the _Falcon_ over a game of dejarik."

"Well, see, I'd never be stupid enough to bet the _Falcon_."

Mara shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"I know."

She was nervous now, and that was bad. The Emperor had always taught her to be calm and calculating, and being nervous only led to mistakes. Taking a deep breath, Mara did her best to calm herself. Still that niggling feeling remained. "Han, this is serious. If there's any reason we can't trust Calrissian, we need to terminate the mission."

"It'll be fine, Mara. I'm not even supposed to be there, remember?"

She sat back in her chair, relaxing slightly. "I guess you're right."

"And he contacted us—I mean, he contacted the Alliance." Han patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mara. You think I'd be here if I didn't think it'd be safe?"

"No…I guess you wouldn't." She raised a brow knowingly and removed his hand. "Which leads me to another question—why _are_ you here?"

"Flying you in, since I know Lando and all."

Oh, there was definitely more to it than that and Mara decided it was time to press the issue. "And?"

"And…" He trailed off, pretending to be engrossed in the instrument panel for a moment. Mara waited patiently for his answer. "All right. Fine. I knew this was the only way I could get Leia to talk to me."

Mara let out an exasperated sigh. "Han—"

"Look, I know I kriffed up!" he cut her off. "You don't have to tell me again. But she won't even listen to me when I try to talk to her, to apologize…what else was I supposed to do?"

"I warned you that she'd hate you if you left."

"I know, but I had good intentions! Why can't she see that?"

Mara shrugged. "Can you really blame her, after what you guys did?"

Han looked away. "No. I really can't."

"But you'll still try everything in your power to annoy her into talking to you again?"

"I don't know what else to do."

Mara hated to admit it, but Han was well meaning. Perhaps it was time to give him some guidance. After all, he wasn't figuring out anything on his own. "Han…do you know why Leia is the way she is?"

"Well, yeah. Alderaan."

"Yes, but it's not that simple."

"Everyone says that she acted completely different beforehand. That she was carefree, even as a princess."

"That may well be the case, but look at Tycho and Winter. It took them a while to get over Alderaan but they seem pretty normal now, right?"

"Sure, as normal as you can be in the Alliance."

"Right." Mara chuckled. "And General Rieekan is serious about his work, but none of the Alderaan survivors are as single-minded as Leia."

"Yeah, it's like she's single-handedly trying to enact revenge on the Empire."

Mara paused for a moment, considering her words. "Have you even spoken to her about her experience on the Death Star?"

"No. She won't talk about it, other than the basics."

"And for good reason."

"What are you talking about?"

Mara took a deep breath; held Han's gaze. "I was there, Han."

For a long moment, he didn't speak. _"What?"_

She didn't flinch, expecting that kind of reaction. "I was in the Death Star control room when Alderaan was destroyed."

"…How is that even possible, Mara?" Han looked incredulous, not to mention more than a little bit angry.

"You know about my past." Okay, that was a little white lie, but it was enough of the truth to explain her point. "I was returning from a mission and wound up on the Death Star. While my ship was being repaired I was ushered into the control room. I didn't know what was about to happen. Leia was brought in—I recognized her, of course—and then watched it all happen." She didn't mention that she'd felt it all happen through the Force and, if her suspicions were correct, Leia had felt it too.

Han furrowed his brow, trying to comprehend what Mara was telling him. "Does Leia know this?"

"Oh, no. No, I could never tell her. I don't think she'd be able to look me in the eye." Mara paused again. "That day is what made me start doubting the Empire."

"You and a lot of other people."

"Yeah. Anyway, my point in telling you this, is that Alderaan wasn't the only thing destroyed that day. I might not have known Leia before, but I'm observant enough to know that I watched her being broken right before my eyes. It was…disturbing, to say the very least. She was my sworn enemy and yet I still felt the deepest sympathy for her. It wasn't just the fact that she was forced to watch—that Vader held her in place as it happened—but that it was, for all intents and purposes, her fault."

That statement caused Han's gaze to harden. "It damn well wasn't—"

Mara held out a hand. "Not in the literal sense. But she was transporting the Death Star plans, she wouldn't give up the information they wanted, she was from Alderaan…you connect the dots."

"Leia's a smart woman, Mara. She knows it was Tarkin. She knows it wasn't her fault!"

"Yeah, she knows that up here," Mara pointed to her head, "but what does she believe in here?" Mara held her other hand over her heart. "She doesn't feel like she deserves happiness after seeing her world destroyed."

"But she should. Otherwise she's just giving up on life."

"I know that. But making sure that the Alliance defeats the Empire is the only way she knows how to fix herself. Then the one time she let herself feel something normal, you decide that you have to leave. Not only did you break her heart, but you also belittled her work in the Alliance."

"That wasn't why I decided to leave!"

"I'm not the one you have to convince."

Han sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "Dammit. What the hell do I do?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "Why are men so clueless? Just…be _nice_ to her. Is that possible for you?"

Han smiled a bit and a twinkle came to his eye. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I can be nice."

"Good. And be nice to Calrissian, too. I don't need to break up any fistfights on this mission."

Han snorted. "If I know Lando, _I'm _the one who's going to be breaking up fights on your end."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Han shrugged his shoulders, feigning innocence. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

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.

Several hours later, when they landed in Cloud City, Mara finally understood Han's insinuation.

The city was beautiful even under the cover of darkness. It hovered in the atmosphere of the gas giant, kept aloft by repulsorlifts attached to the underside of the city. Not only did city contain a rather large tibanna gas processing facility, but it was also a popular resort location for many beings in the galaxy. The upper levels of Cloud City were filled with resorts, restaurants, large and expensive houses, theatres, and many other entertainment options. The lower levels, by comparison, were industrial, filled with factories and the tibanna gas facilities.

The _Falcon_ came to a rest on one of the outdoor landing platforms attached to the upper levels of the city. The three humans, two droids and Wookiee filed off the ship in single file. A dark-skinned man stood at the far end of the landing platform, waiting for them. With elegant clothes and a finely coiffed hairstyle and mustache, Mara could only assume that this was the administrator of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian.

Han and Lando exchanged rather terse pleasantries, then the man turned his attention to Leia. He was polite and professional, as befitted interactions with a princess, but there was an unmistakable gleam in his eye. Mara rolled her eyes in disbelief and prepared for this man to make a fool of himself.

And he did. He turned to her, standing there with arms crossed over her chest, and gave a brilliant smile, almost as bad as some of Han's grins. She suppressed a wince.

"Hello there," Calrissian drawled, holding out his hand. "I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of the facility."

Mara glanced at his hand but did not accept it. "Yes, I read the report."

Calrissian wasn't dissuaded by her apparent disinterest. "And who might you be?"

Mara cocked a brow. "Mara."

Boldly, Calrissian stepped forward and took her hand in his, pressing it to his lips. "Welcome, Mara."

It was all she could do not to roll her eyes, especially when Leia started chuckling behind her. To her disbelief, it was Han who stepped in and saved he day. He moved in between them and detached Mara's hand from the other man's mustache. "You might as well save the effort, old friend. She's _very _attached."

With a grateful smile, Mara drew forth with Leia and followed Calrissian's aide into the city. Chewbacca and the droids followed closely behind, with Han and Calrissian forming the rear of the group. With her keen hearing, Mara could hear Calrissian's furtive whisper: "Just how attached is she?"

Mara glanced over her shoulder; saw Han clasp the other man on the arm. "Practically married. Also, did I mention that she's an expert in hand-to-hand combat, not to mention blasters?

Calrissian glanced up and saw Mara staring at them. She gave him a sweet smile. He swallowed hard. "Oh."

Mara continued to smile as they walked further into the city. But that bad, nervous feeling was still there in the back of her mind.

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Darth Vader's private quarters onboard the _Executor_ were plain and spartan, just as he preferred. His barometric chamber sat in the center of the room, a gaping black maw that captured the attention of all who entered.

He rarely entertained guests in this room; the only people who regularly entered were Admiral Piett, General Veers, or other high-ranking officers on his flagship. But today Prince Xizor, the leader of the Black Sun organization, had arrived with important information that could only be conveyed in person. Vader had immediately ordered the visitor to be escorted to his chambers.

Vader remained silent while he read Xizor's report. He'd gone six long months without any information about his son's location. Not wanting to get his hopes up, Vader had almost expected this report to be more of the same—reports of Rebel activity from Black Sun agents all over the galaxy—but this was different.

Vader lifted his helmet and stared with all his power at the Falleen standing stoically in front of him. "Your agents have spotted the _Millennium Falcon_?" His surprise was evident. After all, the starship hadn't been involved in Rebel missions since the Battle of Hoth.

Xizor nodded, holding the Dark Lord's gaze without fear. "Yes, Lord Vader."

"And you are absolutely certain that Leia Organa and Mara Jade were seen in the company of Captain Solo?"

"As you can see in the report, there is holographic evidence of their arrival on Cloud City."

Vader ignored the alien's insolence for the time being. "When was this taken?"

"Several hours ago. By all reports, they will remain on Bespin for approximately three days."

Without warning Vader threw down the datapad and stalked to the room's comm station. He was very grateful that this report had come to him while he was on the _Executor_ and not on Imperial Center. Leaving the Palace so quickly would alert the Emperor's suspicions and they were close enough to Bespin to arrive before the Rebels would depart. The Force had been with him today…

Admiral Piett's face appeared in holographic form before him. "Yes, Lord Vader?"

"Plot an immediate course for the Bespin system," Lord Vader commanded without preamble.

Piett was unfazed by the curt order. "Yes, my lord." With a nod, the connection was disconnected and Vader turned back to Prince Xizor, who had risen from his seat.

Vader glared at him with all of his ferocity, knowing that even though Xizor could not see his expression beneath the helmet, the alien would still cower before his gaze.

And he did.

He cleared his throat, instantly composing himself. "Do you require any additional information, Lord Vader?"

Vader stepped forward, forcing Xizor back a few paces. "No, Prince. I do not require anything else from you." Narrowing his eyes, Vader tilted his head just slightly. Xizor's hand rose to his throat to loosen the garment around his neck, but that did nothing to help his breathing. Vader stepped forward again. "You understand, Prince Xizor, the Emperor can never learn of the information you have provided me."

Xizor's eyes widened. "But—Lord Vader…" He stammered between gasps for air. "I have told the Emperor nothing!"

"No," Vader rumbled, "and I will see to it that you remain silent on the matter."

With a flick of his wrist, Vader turned around. There was a loud thump as the Falleen prince collapsed on the floor behind him. Vader paid the body no mind; instead waiting for Admiral Piett to enter the quarters. Piett stepped inside the chambers and glanced once at Xizor's body, then turned his full attention to Lord Vader. "We will arrive in the Bespin system in twelve hours, my lord."

"Very good, Admiral. Prepare my shuttle and have General Veers ready his troops."

"Yes, my lord. Would you…would you like your quarters to be cleaned?"

Vader nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, admiral. See to it." And with that Vader left his chambers and stalked to the bridge.

Soon he would have Organa and, more importantly, he would have Jade.

Mara Jade, who had undoubtedly formed a relationship with his son.

Vader smiled. With Jade in his clutches, his son would have no choice but to come to her rescue.

And when that happened…Vader would have him.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

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The blue blade shone through the darkness of the swamp, its vibrant hum adding depth to the abundant noises of life around him. Luke held the blade steady, composing himself while waiting for guidance from the Force.

It came and he quickly acknowledged it, pivoting to block a laser bolt from behind his left shoulder, then whipping back around and bringing his blade down to his right thigh. He jumped, avoiding one of the red beams that came too quickly for him to block with his lightsaber, at the same moment raising his weapon to block a bolt to his head.

Sweat dripped off his face, sizzling against the superheated blade of his lightsaber, the only indication of his extreme physical exertion. He didn't breathe heavily; his movements weren't slow with exhaustion. He was the epitome of a powerful Jedi in combat.

Yet he wasn't a Jedi and wouldn't be one for quite some time. Not until he confronted, and defeated, the darkness inside himself.

Finally the remotes grew still. Taking a deep breath, waiting a moment to ensure that the program had indeed expired, Luke extinguished his blade and turned to the Jedi Master sitting on a fallen log behind him.

Yoda nodded in approval. "Very good, young Skywalker. Improved, your skill with the lightsaber has."

Luke nodded, grateful for the master's compliment. Ever since his success in levitating the X-wing, something had changed in his training. He felt at peace with the Force and his place in it. Physical manipulations of the Force were easier for him, as if the Force was more willing to listen to him now that he was willing to listen to it. As Master Yoda had explained, it truly was a symbiotic relationship.

He often wondered how much longer he'd remain on Dagobah. Yoda had never mentioned how long his training would take, and he'd never thought to ask. Perhaps he'd instinctively know when his training was complete. If that was the case, he thought ruefully, then it was far from over.

His thoughts turned to Mara, wondering how she was and what she was doing. Probably flying with the Rogues or going on another crazy mission for Intelligence. Hopefully she was missing him as much as he was missing her.

Just as quickly he erased the thoughts of her from his mind, remembering his promise not to be distracted. The sooner he finished his training the sooner he'd return to the Alliance.

Master Yoda climbed down from the log, recapturing Luke's attention. The Jedi Master glanced up at Luke and brandished his walking stick. "Finished for the day, your training is. Back home, we will go."

"If it's okay with you, master, I'd like to continue practicing."

Yoda furrowed his brow, nodded once and walked away. Luke watched the diminutive Jedi disappear into the night before bringing up his lightsaber.

Since raising the X-wing he'd felt an unmistakable urge to go back into the Dark Side cave. He was too confused to mention this to Master Yoda, but he suddenly felt certain that this was the missing piece to his training. He needed to fix his one, horrible failure before he could move forward as a Jedi.

He made his way through the swamp without thinking, unable to shy away from the nearby darkness. Before he knew it he was there, climbing into the roots of the tree and trekking down the sloping cave.

His lightsaber was still in his hand, he realized ruefully after he'd made it several paces inside the cave. He clipped it onto his belt, wondering if he should turn around and leave his weapons outside, but he kept moving forward as if not of his own accord.

He stopped abruptly, feeling an odd sense of peace wash over him although the darkness was still close by. Was this…was this what being one with the Force felt like? Comfort and knowledge that, no matter what you were about to face, the Force would always be at your side?

Luke didn't know how long he stood still in the cave, emptying his mind of all thoughts. But then he felt a familiar sound, a sound heard only in dreams and visions—rasping breath, like a monster in a bedtime story, come to steal away children in the night.

Vaguely, Luke remembered a time when he was very young, visiting Anchorhead with his uncle. He'd always been fascinated with the town, with the buildings that had seemed so impossibly large. Later, when he'd grown up, he'd looked down upon the shabby dwellings and shops that were his only haven away from the farm. But as a child, it was a whole new world.

His uncle had gone inside some shop and Luke did his best to remain in place as ordered, but he was five and everything was so interesting, not like listening to Uncle Owen and the shop owner talk. So he began shuffling around, not too much that Uncle Owen would notice and yell at him, but enough to find other, more interesting things to look at.

It was then he noticed the broadcast on the HoloNet, one of the official "news" programs released by the Empire. Luke was young but even he knew what the Empire was, even though it didn't matter much out on Tatooine. Here, the main concern was staying away from the Sandpeople.

There was a man in the broadcast, but he was more like a monster. He wore a helmet that obscured his face and Luke was both horrified and fascinated by it. He wondered what sort of creature would live behind such a mask.

But the breathing…the breathing was the most entrancing thing of all.

A hand fell on Luke's arm, startling him. "I told you not to wander off," his uncle said gruffly, even though Luke couldn't have wandered more than a few meters. Still, he knew better to argue.

"Sorry," he mumbled half-heartedly.

His uncle glanced back to the HoloNet transceiver. His eyes widened momentarily before grabbing Luke and dragging him out of the store.

"Uncle Owen, who was that man in the mask?"

His uncle shook his head. "Nobody you need to know about."

Now Luke faced that same masked man knowing the truth—that he was a monster named Darth Vader and the reason that Luke was an orphan.

This time Luke did not strike out against the Sith Lord. He remained in place, allowing Vader to approach him.

And then Vader did something completely unexpected…

He held out his hand.

Luke stared at it for a long moment, contemplating the gesture. Vader'd been after him for a long time—to kill him or recruit him, Luke didn't know for sure. All he knew was that he would never allow the Dark Side to take hold of him.

He stared into the black mask…and shook his head before turning away, not bothering to look back.

He half expected Vader's gloved hand to grasp his neck, but instead he nearly collapsed as another vision overtook him, this one much more vague than the other, but still full of emotion and pain and distress.

It took a few seconds before he could pin the feeling down and when he did, he was shivering and covered with sweat.

He had no idea what he was supposed to do, but he knew one thing for sure.

His friends—and Mara—were in trouble.

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Something was wrong.

She didn't know what, and she didn't know where the danger was coming from. But Mara Jade had been trained to sense danger, and it was there, breathing at the back of her neck.

Sitting around the large conference table in the ornate room that was part of Cloud City's administrative center, Mara glanced around at the other participants, trying to gauge their senses.

Han and Chewie were bored, that was plainly obvious. Leia was intense, as she always was during negotiations. Lando was as gracious and friendly as ever. Threepio stood at the back of the room, Red directly next to him, to record the proceedings.

Everything seemed perfectly normal, exactly as it should be. But Mara knew, somehow, that something was wrong.

Focused as she was on the Force, Mara only listened passively to the conversation, not really paying attention as Leia and Lando hammered out the minute details of Cloud City's agreement with the Rebel Alliance. As per the agreement, the Alliance would receive a large percentage of Cloud City's tibanna gas product while the Alliance would station a garrison to protect the city in case of an Imperial attack.

Mara had to admit that Calrissian was a capable businessman and, judging from what Han had revealed, could hold his own in battle. Any other time, Mara probably would have found herself enjoying the man's company. Now, however, she merely focused on the conversation at hand, mentally keeping record of the proceedings and keeping watch for anything odd.

And did her best to pinpoint the reason why she felt terribly unnerved.

A loud cough from Han caught her attention. Her eyes darted to him and she allowed a small smile at his discomfort. Lando was sitting awfully close to Leia, much closer than a polite business contact should, and constantly brushed his hand against hers when pointing out a particular statement on her datapad. Mara halfway expected Han to jump over the table and punch Calrissian at any moment, but thankfully he seemed to be taking her suggestion to heart and avoiding physical confrontation for the moment.

Finally the meeting came to an end, Leia and Lando cementing their deal with a handshake. Various Cloud City aides congratulated the pair, then Leia turned to Mara and offered a relieved smile. "We'll need to contact Mon Mothma as soon as possible with the news."

Hearing this, Lando inserted himself into the group. "If you would like Princess, you are free to use the city's communications equipment. Our encryption abilities are likely far superior to what you have access to on the _Millennium Falcon_."

"Thank you," Leia said politely, purposefully ignoring the glowering glare on Han's face. "That is a very generous offer."

A sweep of Lando's arm indicated that the group was to exit the conference room. "After you."

Leia was the first to exit, followed by Threepio, Red, Mara, Chewie and then Han, who still looked like he wanted to punch Calrissian's in the face. To the administrator's credit he remained completely professional, although Mara was pretty sure he was goading Han on purpose. But that was okay with her. Any method of getting Han to openly admit his feelings for Leia was okay with her.

As they made their way through the upper levels of Cloud City, Mara continued to have a very bad feeling. She may not have had many opportunities to use her Force skills over the past six months, but her danger sense was as good as ever. If she felt that something was wrong, it meant something was wrong.

But did that mean that something was wrong on Cloud City, or elsewhere? Even across the vastness of space, Mara had felt the bond between her and Luke grow stronger as he learned the ways of the Force. She had tried many times to communicate with him, as she had been able to with Palpatine, but was unsuccessful. Perhaps she was sensing a remnant of his anxiety.

Or perhaps something had gone wrong back at the fleet. She wasn't aware of any upcoming missions for Rogue Squadron, but that didn't mean that the Rogues hadn't managed to find trouble on their own.

Whatever it was, Mara refused to ignore the bad feeling in her mind. The only thing she could do was listen to the Force.

Of course, that was better said than done when surrounded by two bickering droids and a smuggler who wanted to start a fight with their contact.

Mara sighed as Han hurried his pace, trying to insert himself between Calrissian and Leia. She managed to grab his arm at the last second and kept him firmly in place beside her.

He scowled at her. "Hey, what's the deal?"

Mara raised a brow. "Don't act innocent. It doesn't work for you."

He scowled some more. "Look at the way he's all over her!"

She had to suppress a chuckle at Han's jealously. To think of what could have been if Mara had the opportunity to conspire with Lando and _really_ make Han jealous. Now that would've been something to write home about.

"He's just being polite, Han. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. She's obviously not interested."

"Yeah? Could've fooled me," Han muttered as Leia offered Calrissian a genuine smile.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Remember all those times you'd talk to women in front of her, to make her jealous? Maybe she's learned some tricks from you."

"Hey! My conversations with other women had nothing to do with her. I'm just a friendly guy."

"Right. And I'm the next Empress. Now come on, the sooner Leia makes this call the sooner we can get off Cloud City."

And then, right as Han muttered some derogatory comment under his breath, Mara tightened her grip on his arm and stopped dead in her tracks. That bad feeling had just gotten much worse and she could almost reach out and touch it…

She was vaguely aware of Han questioning her, but she ignored him and stretched out with the Force. Yes, the danger was definitely inside the city and it was definitely related to them.

Then Mara's eyes blinked open in recognition. The last time she'd sensed this disturbance in the Force was during that horrible confrontation with the _Executor_…

"Vader," she whispered.

He'd found them. He'd finally found them.

"Mara? Mara!" Finally she turned her attention to Han's voice, facing him with frightened eyes. Han took a step back, for he knew that Mara rarely got scared. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, rushing past him to take Leia's arm and pull her away from the group. "We gotta get out of here," she said through gritted teeth.

Leia, aware of Mara's abilities in the Force, stepped back in fear. "What is it?"

"Vader."

Leia's hand flew to her mouth. "Are you certain?"

"Positive. I don't know how, but he's found us."

"But…" Leia trailed off, turning to Calrissian as a thought went through her mind. "You don't think?"

Mara narrowed her eyes, trying sense of whether or not the administrator had deceived them. She shook her head, finding no treachery. "I don't think so, but we need to leave."

Leia nodded, the decision already made. She spun around to face Calrissian. "What's the quickest way to our ship?"

"Uh…I thought you were going to use our communications equipment, princess?"

"We've had a change of plans."

"What's goin' on?" Han demanded, stepping forward and taking hold of Leia's arm. She immediately snatched it back.

"Trouble," was all she would say before hurrying down the hallway, not bothering to wait for Calrissian's answer.

Running to catch up with her, Calrissian asked, "Princess, please, what is the matter?"

She spared him a glance while following him through the empty corridors. "The Empire has found us."

He paused for a moment, then regained his composure and hurried beside her again. "Princess, I can assure you, our security has been very stringent and there is no possibility of Imperial presence in the city—"

"But there is, administrator!" Leia cut him off. "And not just someone stopping by to take away your tibanna gas. It's Vader."

Now Han was the one to misstep. _"Vader?"_

"Are you really going to argue with me now, Han?"

"No, but—"

"Stop!" Mara's word rang through the heated discussion, silencing all talk except for Threepio's doomed mutterings. Even Red's distinctive whirring seemed to quiet down.

Mara ignored the others, peering around the empty corridors that should be bustling with citizens at this hour of the day. She whipped around. "Is there another way? A secret way?"

Lando didn't bother asking for an explanation. "Follow me."

Mara nodded at him in admiration. "Smart man."

They followed him down the hallway, Han continuing to demand what the hell was going on while Leia inquired what Mara knew.

"He's here already," she whispered, as if he'd be able to hear her. "They used the meeting as a distraction to infiltrate the city. It's just a few troopers right now until they apprehend us, then they'll bring in an entire garrison to secure the city."

"Princess, I implore you, I had nothing to do with this—"

"We'll discuss your integrity later, administrator. Right now we need to get to our ship."

"But if they know you're here you can't go back to your ship, they'll be waiting for you there."

"Right," Mara agreed. "Vader will plan for that…" Certainly he knew she was aware of their presence; she wouldn't be able to shield her access of the Force from someone of Vader's power. "Is there a place we can hide out, go to ground so to speak, and try to get word out to the Alliance?"

Calrissian nodded. "Yes, in the lower levels of the city. It's all industrial; the Empire won't look there."

"Then let's go."

They hurried through hallway after hallway and lift after lift, making their way through the maze of Cloud City's upper levels. The last hallway had several doorways. "We're almost to the entrance to the lower levels," Calrissian said. "We can cut through these offices as a shortcut."

Mara motioned for him to continue.

Calrissian stopped in front of one of the doorways. Looking over his shoulder, he palmed the entrance…

And there, standing in front of them, was Darth Vader, surrounded by half a squad of stormtroopers. Han had his blaster in hand before Leia could even cry out in fear, but Vader wrenched it away with just a thought. It flew in a delicate arc across the room, landing directly in the Sith Lord's palm.

Mara didn't bother with her blaster. She knew it would be a useless gesture.

Vader stepped forward, all his attention on Mara. She forced herself to stand tall and hold his gaze, calling upon her years of immersion in the Imperial Court. She would not allow him to intimidate her.

Sensing this Vader chuckled, a low rumbling in his throat. He glanced to Leia, then back to Mara. "Princess Leia." He bowed his head. "Mara Jade.

"I am honored that you could join us."


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

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Han paced around the cell, his head pounding thanks to the siren being piped into the room and Chewbacca's corresponding howls. He felt like throwing up.

"Oh Red, I just knew this mission was going to go poorly. I just knew it!"

The astromech blurted an annoyed tweet. Threepio looked at the other droid in what could only be described as surprise. "Of course I have faith in your mistress, Red! But unfortunately she does seem to attract her fair share of trouble."

There was another, angrier beep. "Well yes, Master Luke has had his own troubles as well." Another beep. "And yes, I suppose that Artoo was around for all those situations."

Mara, sitting on a bench built into the wall, lifted her head from her hands. "Would you two _please _stop bickering before I shut you both down?"

The droids turned to her. "Oh yes, Lieutenant Jade."

Red trilled mournfully and rolled away, mad at Threepio for getting them into trouble with Mara. She, on the other hand, took no notice. "Han, please sit down. You're making me nervous."

"You?" He threw her an incredulous look. "Please. You never get nervous."

"Yeah, well I am now."

Han stopped pacing for a moment to look at her, noting for the first time the dark circles under her eyes and splotchy patches on her skin. "You really are nervous, aren't you?"

It took her awhile to acknowledge his statement, as if she were afraid that would make her appear weak. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah."

For some reason he felt the urge to comfort her, even though inside he was still worried as hell about Leia. He sat down next to Mara and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get out of this. You know they can't hold me. Don't worry."

"Yeah." But her shaky voice betrayed her true feelings.

After a few moments of silence Han stood up again. Leia'd been gone for far too long and he couldn't bear to think of what they were doing to her. Vader had tortured her once before, he'd have no qualms in doing so again.

It wasn't that he didn't think Leia was strong enough to get through it. Whenever he tried to protect her, she'd always jumped to the wrong conclusion. It wasn't that he thought her weak incapable…he just didn't want to see her get hurt.

He cared about her too much.

The siren stopped screeching and Chewbacca leaned against the wall in relief, wuffing softly. Han gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, pal." Chewie moaned in response, expressing his understanding that this was nobody's fault.

Han couldn't help but think that it was, though. After that escape from the asteroid field after Hoth, he should've known that the Empire would jump at the opportunity to capture his ship. Especially when he was transporting Leia and Mara on a mission for the Alliance. Vader had known the women were flying with him…how had he known?

Han swore to himself that if Lando was involved in this mess, he'd flay the man alive with his bare hands.

Just then the door to the cell slid open and several stormtroopers shoved Leia into the room. The door closed quickly behind her and, lacking support, she nearly collapsed. Mara, finding her head quicker than Han, grabbed her before she hit the floor. "Leia! Are you okay?"

She was barely conscious but managed to nod her head, letting out a tiny whimper at the motion. That sound brought Han back to life and he rushed across the room, carefully extracting Leia from Mara's arms and lowering her onto the duracrete bench.

Her eyes fluttered. "Han? Is that you?"

"Yeah." There was a strange hitch in his throat. "It's me." She blinked a few times before reaching up to touch his face. Han caught her hand with his and brought it to his lips. "I'm here, Princess."

Mara leaned in behind Han, an apologetic look on her face. "Leia, what did they want from you? Did they ask you any questions?"

She was struggling to stay awake, but her duty to the Alliance had always come first. "Wanted to know…about Luke…"

Mara's eyes widened and her voice shook. "Luke?"

"Where he was…what he was doing…said I didn't know…"

"Oh, Leia," Han breathed her name. Why did these things always happen to her? She was so _good_…he couldn't stand it, he wanted to scream!

Mara met Han's gaze. "They're using us as bait."

"How? He's not here."

"Doesn't matter." Mara's shoulders slumped. "He'll know something's wrong."

"Don't tell me—the Force?"

"Say what you want, Han, but he'll know. Vader will make sure of it." She glanced pointedly at Leia, still moaning softly on the bench, and Han shuddered.

Mara turned away and Han took the opportunity to kneel down next to the bench. He was in a cell cramped with an Intelligence agent, two droids, and a Wookiee, but the small, beautiful woman in front of him captured his complete attention. She always had. "Leia," he said her voice mainly just to hear the word, but she opened her eyes anyway.

"Han." She tried to smile.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. I'm sorry you had to go through this again. I told them to take me instead!"

"It happens…"

"But it shouldn't! Dammit Leia, I was going crazy thinking of what they were doing to you and…and I realized…I was so stupid to leave you. I don't want to live without you. I love you, Leia."

She didn't answer and Han thought she had fallen unconscious again. But then she caressed his face and smiled. "You're such an idiot."

Han blinked. "Huh?"

"You're an idiot."

"I…uh…" That was definitely not the sort of response he'd expected. A kiss, a punch in the face maybe, but that? He glanced to the others for help but they were pretending not to pay attention. He turned back to Leia; was she delusional?

She shoved him in the shoulder as hard as she could manage. "I'm not delusional, Han! Of course you love me. Why do you think I was so mad at you when you left?"

"But…when we were back on _Home One _I tried to apologize, to make things right, and you said we were better off apart…"

"Because I was mad at you, you idiot!"

"Oh." Han stood, wanting to give her peace and quiet. But she grabbed his arm, pulling him back down to her.

She stared deep into his eyes. "I was mad…because I love you too."

Han's eyes widened in delight and he pulled her into a kiss, as passionate as he dared given her current condition. When he pulled away, he nearly pumped his fist in victory. "I knew it!"

Leia rolled her eyes. "I just don't understand why it took _this_ for you to finally admit it, you big nerf."

"You could've said it too, you know."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Yeah, well…" His retort was cut off when he noticed that her eyes had closed again, her breathing slow and steady. She was out again.

Sighing in delight he placed another soft kiss to her lips and wondered why, when everything else seemed to be falling apart around them, things between him and Leia finally felt so very right.

.

.

Mara felt like a voyeur, watching as Leia and Han stopped dancing around each other and admitted their feelings. She'd never been one for sentimentality but couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat when she heard them finally exchange _I-love-yous_.

It didn't help that she could clearly feel Leia's pain.

The cell grew quiet once Leia passed out again. Han stayed next to her, stroking her hair and staring at her face as if he were truly seeing her for the first time.

"She said something about Luke," Han said softly.

"Yeah." Mara had to force the word out.

"Will Vader kill him?"

She didn't see the need to mince words. "No. Vader wants him alive, to turn to their side."

"Luke'd never do that. Vader killed his father."

Mara shrugged. "Vader was once a Jedi. I suppose he believes that anyone has the potential for darkness."

"Yeah, well, Luke doesn't."

"I'm not arguing with you. I'm just trying to explain."

"How do you know what Vader's thinking?"

She looked away and ran her hand over a stain on the wall. "I might know what he's thinking, but that doesn't mean I understand it."

They fell into another silence, then several minutes later the door hissed open. Mara's head snapped, expecting to see Vader, but instead Lando Calrissian was pushed inside, looking haggard with ripped clothing and blood on his face.

He fell to the floor in a heap, gasping in harsh breaths. Mara rushed over, feeling a sudden flash of sympathy. While they'd had a questionable start, Lando had been nothing but professional during the negotiations and was obviously a competent businessman. Not only that, he was willing to risk his life for a cause he believed in, something Mara had to respect.

To see the confident, handsome man reduced to the sight in front of her…

Calrissian met her gaze with twinkling eyes and a flash of a brilliant smile. "I must be dreaming, because there's an angel in front of me."

Mara rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "At least we know he's not delusional," she muttered.

"Lando." She hadn't noticed Han get up but there he was beside her, glowering at his old friend. "What's going on, buddy?"

Mara was quick to reassure him. "It's all right, Han."

"Didn't…sell you out…" Lando's voice was a harsh whisper, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Even Leia managed to open one eye in curiosity. "Didn't…know…" He trailed off, unable to continue speaking.

Mara shook her head in disgust. "Look at him. He didn't have anything to do with this."

Han stared at his old friend for a long time. "I don't know if we can trust him, Mara."

"We can."

"How do you know?"

"I know." Her eyes went unfocused as she tentatively reached out to touch the Force. "I just know."

Han nodded. "All right, I believe you. But how _did_ Vader manage to find us, then?"

Lando shook his head. "Don't…know…"

"Vader's got spies all over the galaxy looking for Luke. It was only a matter of time before he spread the search to his friends." Mara addressed Lando, who looked to be going in and out of consciousness. "Lando, can you speak?"

"Anything for you…my lady…"

"Did they ask you any questions?"

"Carbon…freeze…"

Han knelt down beside his friend. "What?"

"Carbon freeze…wanted to know…if someone…would survive…"

Mara couldn't suppress the gasp that flew out of her mouth. She bolted upright, fists clenched at her side. "That _sleemo_!"

"What?" Han demanded.

"This is a mining colony. Of course they have a carbon freezing chamber, to transport the tibanna gas. Vader wants to capture Luke and freeze him before taking him to Palpatine."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I wouldn't joke about this."

"But that might kill him!"

Mara pointed at Lando. "Why do you think they interrogated him? To find out if Luke would survive the freezing process."

Han sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "So if Luke won't go willingly, Vader'll force him."

"Yeah." Mara's voice was distant as an idea began to formulate in her mind…

Vader had captured Luke's friends, certain that Luke wouldn't be able to resist coming to the rescue. Mara was also certain that Luke would come to them. He could no sooner resist helping them than he could ignore the Force itself.

And once Vader got his hands on Luke…once he got his hands on Leia, and the others…

Mara couldn't let that happen.

She started pacing again and glanced around the room. She found what she was looking for—a barely concealed holocam stuck into the corner of the room. She stared at it and took a deep breath. "I need to see Lord Vader."

"Mara!" Han hissed. "What the hell are you doing?"

She ignored him. "I need to see Lord Vader," she repeated, to ensure that the officers monitoring the room heard.

She opened her mouth to speak again when the door hissed open. Two stormtroopers stepped in and grabbed her wrists without ceremony. Mara spared one last glance back into the cell. Han's jaw was gaping open and Leia wore a sad expression on her face. Taking a deep breath, Mara reached out into the Force, sending reassurance to Leia that everything would be okay. Leia's eyes widened as Mara was dragged out the door.

Yes, she was definitely doing the right thing.

She let herself be dragged down the hallway without protest, a perfect prisoner. They passed several doorways and made several turns before arriving at what turned out to be a conference room.

Sitting inside, at the head of the table, was Darth Vader.

The stormtroopers shoved her into a chair, clicked their heels and left the room with precision. Definitely members of the 501st.

She met Vader's hidden gaze, betraying absolutely no anxiety. She was not nervous. She knew she was doing the right thing.

She just hoped Vader would go for it.

"Well?" he asked without preamble. "You demanded to see me, Mara Jade?"

"Yes." It would do no good to provoke him—not now. "I did."

"What do you want?"

Mara leaned forward, putting a bit of desire and want into her voice. "Let them go. Please. I know what it is you really want, and holding them isn't going to help you."

"Begging for the lives of your Rebel friends, Emperor's Hand? My, how the mighty have fallen."

"You want Luke Skywalker, and Luke Skywalker will not sit idly by why his friends are made to suffer."

"That is what I am counting on."

"Do you really think he'll want to join you after coming here to rescue us?" Mara shook her head. "It won't work on him. The type of control Palpatine exercises…it'll only make him fight harder."

"You do not know everything, Mara Jade. It will work. And if it doesn't, I will make it."

Mara blinked. "You can't put him into carbonite. It might kill him!"

"The facility has been deemed safe for humans."

"And that's a risk you're willing to take?"

Vader paused for a moment in consideration. Vader had been searching for Luke for many years. He may be extremely strong in the Force, but he was a Rebel. Protocol was to kill Rebels on sight.

Yet Lord Vader seemed almost…protective of him.

For some reason, that thought made Mara even more nervous.

"Yes," was his answer.

She pleaded again. "Let the others go, Lord Vader. Trust me on this."

"And why should I ever trust you, Emperor's Hand?" The sarcasm in his voice was more than evident.

She glanced away, suddenly very uncomfortable under the Dark Lord's inscrutable gaze. "You just should."

"I see. Perhaps if you tell me where young Skywalker has been, we can come to an agreement."

She knew Vader was telling a complete lie, but went along anyway. "He has been training to be a Jedi."

"As I suspected. Where? With whom? Was it Yoda?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" She couldn't see it, of course, but she would have bet that Lord Vader raised an eyebrow skeptically. If he even _had _eyebrows under that mask, that is. She'd heard the rumors about his transformation…

She shook her head. "He didn't tell me."

"You cannot possibly expect me to believe that young Skywalker left for an extended period of time and did not tell _you_ where he was going."

"He didn't, I swear! He didn't tell anybody."

Vader chuckled, a deep rumble that shook the foundation of the room and sent a shiver down Mara's spine. "I see, Mara Jade." He leaned forward and Mara could sense him trying to get past her mental barriers, but those had been fortified by Palpatine. "Where was he?" the Sith Lord ground out, as if compelling the answer from her very soul.

"I don't know," she answered, just as intense.

Lord Vader rose abruptly from the table, the durasteel legs of his chair screeching against the hard floor. "You are useless."

"I'm trying to help you, Lord Vader!" she cried desperately. It wasn't hard to play this part. She'd always been a good actress.

"Help me? You want to help me capture Skywalker? I highly doubt it."

"Perhaps…perhaps I see that it is the only way." She glanced down at her hands, wringing them together on her lap. She didn't need to look up to see that her insinuation had struck a chord with Lord Vader. "He will come to me, but you need to let our friends go," she insisted. "He hates you. If you hurt them, he will never go along with any of your plans."

"He will learn to accept it. One always does."

Mara's lips thinned into a tight line. "No." She shook her head vigorously. "You don't know him."

"But I do, far more than you know." He paused, considering his next words. "You say Skywalker hates me. Hate is of the Dark Side. He will learn."

She had to try one more time. "Let them go, Lord Vader. Please."

He regarded her for a long moment, and then he tilted his head, almost as if seeing her for the first time. "No…no, I don't think I will, Mara Jade. But you are correct about one thing. Skywalker _will_ come to you, which means you are still useful—for now."

Mara shot up from her chair, putting a considerable distance between herself and the Sith Lord. "No! You're making a grave mistake, Lord Vader!"

He raised his voice over her screams. "Guards!"

Two stormtroopers stepped inside the room along with a well-groomed, middle-aged officer. "Yes, Lord Vader?"

"Take her to the carbon freezing chamber immediately. I will join you shortly."

"Yes, Lord Vader. And the other prisoners?"

Vader turned his head back to Mara. "I will deal with them after we have Skywalker. Take her away!"

Mara put up as much protest as she could muster, straining against her guards enough to look realistic but not enough to risk an injury or retribution.

And inside she was rejoicing.

.

.

.

.

.

Pushing aside his apprehension, Luke ducked inside the entrance to Master Yoda's hut. The Jedi Master was bustling around, cooking another pot of soup for dinner. After six months Luke had grown to enjoy the soup's odd taste. He'd miss it.

Just as he would miss Master Yoda.

Luke took a deep breath. "Master?"

"Young Luke, come, come! Time to eat, it is. Time to eat."

Luke settled down on the floor, leaning against the wall with one knee propped up. He graciously accepted Yoda's offering of soup. "Thank you."

Yoda stood in front of his young apprentice. "Troubled, you are."

Luke nodded, not bothering to hide it. "Yes. I've been having visions…they won't go away."

"Mmm," Yoda murmured. "Visions, you say?"

"Yes, of my friends in trouble."

"A sign, you believe this to be?"

"Yes." Luke shifted nervously. "I didn't tell you this, Master Yoda, but I went back inside the cave. I saw Vader, just like before, but this time I refused to fight him. He disappeared. But then I felt my friends in trouble."

"Mmm."

Luke could sense Yoda's disapproval. Remembering their discussions on attachment, he tried to find his center and explain the situation in a reasonable manner. "It's all my friends—Leia and Han and Chewie and Mara. I saw them being…tortured," the word hurt to say. "By Vader."

Those words hurt him even more.

"Face him, you feel you must?"

"I have to go to my friends. These visions…I'm seeing them for a reason. I've meditated on it and the Force is telling me to go."

Yoda turned around. Luke watched him intently, trying to gain a sense of his mood. Did he disapprove? Was he going to tell Luke that he had to stay?

"The will of the Force, you believe this is." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, Master Yoda. I do."

Yoda faced Luke again, regarding him with kind, wise eyes. "Then go, you must."

Luke's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Giving you visions, the Force is. Listen to the Force, you must. Your first lesson as a Jedi, this is."

"Thank—" Luke paused, Master Yoda's words registering in his mind. "…A Jedi?"

Yoda nodded. "Already know you, that what you need. Now, you face your final test."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Luke couldn't keep the grin off his face. Was it proper for him to feel this proud of himself? Was this the Jedi way? He didn't know…but he couldn't help it. He was proud of himself.

"Wait a moment." Master Yoda's words stopped Luke from rising from the ground. "Leave, you will. But first, more to teach you, there is."

"But I thought you said—"

"A Jedi never stops learning. Even a Master. When stop learning you do, then no point in living, there is."

Luke must've looked anxious, because Master Yoda poked him with his gimer stick, a grim look on his face. "Pay attention you must, if want to save your friends, you do."

He sat conflicted for a moment; heart screaming at him to drop everything and leave immediately, that Leia and Han needed him…that Mara needed him. If she was captured by the Empire…

But the Force was telling him to heed his master's words, so he would. The Force had not yet steered him wrong. If he was to be a Jedi, he needed to listen to the Force at all times, even when it pained him to do so.

Luke settled back against the wall, ready for his final lesson.


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

.

It was all too easy.

Luke landed his X-wing on the directed landing platform, eyes darting around to take in his new surroundings even as his fingers flew across the flight console, performing long-memorized shutdown procedures. The platform itself looked normal, similar to those found all over the galaxy, yet there were no attendants to greet him, no workers to try to collect a refueling payment. When he'd exited hyperspace, Cloud City control had been very eager to assist him, almost too eager. There looked to be no inherent danger but it was definitely there, unable to ignore in the back of his mind.

It was definitely too easy and any other time he would have immediately turned around and headed back to the fleet. But the Force was pushing him to be here for a reason. His friends were in trouble.

Even without reaching out into the Force he could feel Mara's distinctive aura in the city. He unstrapped himself and jumped out of the cockpit. "Artoo? I gotta go inside. Stay with the ship, okay?" Luke wasn't surprised by the round of objective tweets, or by Artoo pushing himself out of the droid socket anyway. "Artoo, I mean it!" The harshness of Luke's voice did not deter the droid at all and he toppled out of the ship, somehow landing upright and fearlessly rolling toward Luke.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you better not give me any trouble or I'll give you back to Leia so you can hang out with Threepio."

Artoo whined mournfully, but wheeled on undeterred.

Luke peeked inside the city. It was empty, just like the landing platform, setting off even more alarms. Deciding to take a risk, he reached out into the Force, searching for his friends.

He found Mara immediately; she snatched onto his presence and sent out _something _through the Force. He concentrated and allowed the Force to offer him guidance. After a few moments, thoughts and feelings began to coalesce in his mind.

_A dark cell…Han, Leia, Chewie, Threepio, Red, and a man Luke did not know…Vader…a blaster flying through the air…torture…a trap…_

_Trap…_

_Help them…_

_Help them!_

Luke gasped for air as he came back to the present moment. Vader was in the city, and had set a trap for them—for _him_. She wanted Luke to help the others escape.

_Help them?_ Luke sent back, shaking his head in confusion. _Where are you?_

_No!_ The thought was instant and urgent. _Go help the others. You don't want to come here._

He found her through the Force, somewhere deep inside the city, and she wasn't alone.

She was with Vader.

Luke had no idea what to do. Did he go to his friends, or did he try to rescue Mara and, in the process, confront Vader? Mara said to go to his friends and he knew that she could take care of herself…but could she protect herself from Vader?

He thought back to Yoda's discussions on attachment, and decided to let the Force guide him.

The decision was clear.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out into the Force, pinpointing Leia and the others, and stepped into the city.

.

.

.

The chamber was dark and oppressive. Mara stood next to Vader, hands bound behind her back, face expressionless as she silently communicated with Luke. She'd reached out to him through the place in their minds that had become irrevocably connected, praying that Vader would not sense what she was doing. Luke was hesitant at first, but she soon felt his acceptance and he went off to save the others, just as she planned for.

There was a harsh intake of breath and then Vader whirled on her. He grabbed her throat and lifted her nearly a meter into the air. Mara struggled for breath and tried to push him away but it was to no avail; he'd always been much stronger than she was.

"What did you do?" His face was centimeters from her and she forced herself not to flinch away.

"Nothing…"

His fingers tightened around her throat. "You lie. What did tell him?"

"Nothing!" She had to lie, she couldn't let him know the truth or else the plan would be in vain… Luke _had_ to get the others out. She cared not what happened to herself, as long as everyone else escaped.

But Vader would have none of it and squeezed tighter, then threw her onto the ground. His finger was thrust into her face when she finally righted herself and she found herself staring at it, entranced. "Call him back."

"I don't…I don't know what you mean…"

"You warned him away from here! Don't lie to me, girl."

"I…"

Vader slapped her hard across the face, making her stumble. _"Call him back."_

She shook her head, feeling numb, unwilling to let Vader get the best of her.

His lightsaber ignited with a _snap-hiss_ and she stared at the blood red blade in something akin to fear and wonderment. She took a deep breath as he placed the blade at her throat. "You are a stupid, stupid girl. But it is of no matter. I have other means to gain Skywalker's attention."

It all happened at once. The red blade retracted back into the hilt; his arm reared back behind his head; she rocked on her heels, preparing to duck…

She was too slow. The hilt smashed against her head and she fell hard to the deck. She blinked her eyes, willing herself to stay conscious, but then she felt invisible hands around her neck and everything turned black.

The last sound she heard was Vader's rasping breath and his laughter inside her mind.

.

.

.

Halfway to his destination Luke nearly fell to his knees in pain. He clutched his head, suppressing tears as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

And then there was an empty feeling in his heart, almost like a part of himself had disappeared. "Mara!" he gasped, resisting the urge to turn and run as fast as he could to find her. He didn't know what happened to her but she was still alive, he was certain. What did he do now?

Taking a deep breath, he stuck to his original plan. He would rescue the others, then save Mara. He _would _save Mara. There was no other option.

Pushing aside all his worries, calling on the Force for calm, he continued through the Cloud City corridors, avoiding the stray stormtrooper and guard in his path. Artoo followed dutifully behind him. They met so little resistance; it was as if the Empire was purposefully herding him to be captured.

Finally, he arrived at the security tower. There was a squad of stormtroopers guarding the door and they straightened up when they saw him, obviously anticipating his arrival.

But they did not expect a fully trained Jedi Knight and he made short work of them.

He stared at their bodies for a moment, almost in awe that he could disarm them so easily, then rushed to the door. He could sense Leia on the other side. "Artoo, can you open the door?"

The droid connected to the computer terminal. He gave a negative tweet.

Luke sighed. "That's okay. There's always another way." He took a deep breath and called, "Stay back!" Praying that Leia had heard his order, he jammed his lightsaber through the door, allowing the metal to heat before carving out a hole large enough for the others to exit.

Leia, the smallest of the group, was the first to emerge. "Luke!" She jumped into his arms and squeezed the air out of his lungs. "What are you doing here?"

He couldn't help himself. "I'm here to rescue you."

Han stepped forward, gently pulling Leia out of Luke's arms. "What Leia means to say, kid, is…well, we're really glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you, too." Luke gazed at his friend, wondering what had happened between him and Leia while Luke was away on Dagobah. Judging by how close they stood to each other, he could only imagine that he'd missed quite a bit.

Luke could find out about that later. There were more important things to do now. "Come on, we gotta get out of here."

"Wait." Leia grabbed Luke's arm. "Luke, Mara's not with us."

Luke swallowed hard. "I know."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah. She's with Vader in the lower levels of the city."

Leia's jaw dropped open. "With Vader?"

"Yes."

"Luke, we gotta help her!"

"No." He shook his head adamantly. "You guys have to leave."

"But Vader's laid a trap for you. You can't go there alone."

"I have to. And you have to get out of here." He turned to Han, who looked displeased with the turn of events but Luke knew that he could trust the smuggler with Leia's life. "Can you find your way out of here?"

Han nodded. "Lando can guide us out."

"Lando?" It was only then that Luke took notice of everyone else piling out of the door. Chewie was there, along with Threepio and Red and a dark-skinned man he didn't recognize.

"Lando Calrissian." The man offered his hand. "I'm the administrator of this facility." He glanced back into the security tower. "Well, _former_ administrator, it appears."

Luke took the man's hand. "Luke Skywalker. Can you get them to their ship?"

"Yes." Lando glanced to Han. "So…is this the guy?"

Han suppressed a snicker. "Yeah. This is the guy."

Luke looked back and forth at the two men, a confused look crossing his face. "What? Am I _what _guy?"

"Oh, nothing." Han smiled.

"Artoo Detoo!" Threepio exclaimed, finally noticing the astromech droid behind Luke. "I am so happy to see you again!"

Red gave an indignant tweet. Artoo blew a smug-sounding raspberry.

Han whipped around to the droids. "All right, you two—can it!"

"Luke," Leia said, "are you sure you want to do this? Come with us, or we can help you and face Vader together!"

She was so earnest and Luke knew she'd do anything to help…but the Force was telling him to make sure they escaped. He had to ensure that _Leia_ escaped.

Luke shook his head. "No. You guys need to get out on the _Falcon_. Take Artoo with you."

There was another loud chorus of indignant beeps.

"Luke, you don't need to do this!"

Luke ignored her and turned to the droids. "Red and Artoo, you need to stay with Han and Leia. There's nothing you can do to help me. Threepio, it's your job to make sure they don't dismantle each other, okay?"

If it was possible, Threepio looked more alarmed than ever. "Oh dear!"

Red turned his dome and gave a mournful tweet that tore into Luke's heart. He smiled at the little droid. "Don't worry, I'll get her back."

Ignoring the droids, Leia pulled Luke close and kissed his cheek. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Please don't do this, Luke."

"I'm sorry. I have no other choice." He turned to leave.

Behind him, Han took Leia's hand and guided her away, the others following suit.

Luke glanced back and watched them disappear, clutching his lightsaber hilt tightly in his hand. "May the Force be with you," he whispered.

Then, he left to find Mara.

.

.

.

"Come on." Lando motioned for the others to follow him through the corridors.

Han had had to literally pull Leia away from Luke, and she was still upset about leaving him, but it was clear that he was going to confront Vader whether she liked it or not. Now she was in combat mode, with only one purpose in mind. And once they escaped, they could always return for Luke and Mara. "We need weapons." As soon as Leia finished her words, they came upon the pile of stormtroopers that had been guarding the security tower. Han kicked one of them, who remained immobile.

He smirked. "Well, it looks like we got our choice of weapons here."

Leia grabbed a blaster, examining it for a moment. She'd been trained to use an assortment of weapons and fired an experimental shot against the wall.

"Leia!"

She smiled innocently. "Just testing."

Han shook his head. "Leia, get behind the rest of us. You're still hurt."

"Yeah, right." She jogged ahead of them.

Han rushed to her side, sighing exasperatedly. "Leia! Ugh, why do you always do this?"

She threw him a patient look. "You wouldn't want me any other way."

Lando drew between them. "Okay, you lovebirds, _I'll_ go first. I know where I'm going."

"Fine," Leia agreed. "Lead the way."

"Hey, you three, hurry up!" Han yelled to the three droids trailing behind them. At least they proved their worth as they emerged from the detention area and they found the door to the populated areas of the city locked. Artoo and Red jockeyed for position, but Artoo got there first and had the door opened in less than five seconds. He tweeted proudly as Lando peered into the corridor. "It's safe, for now."

"Which way to the ship?" Leia asked.

"This way." The group followed Lando, while Chewbacca and the droids brought up the rear. They paused every so often so Lando could take assessment of their progress, as well as wait for the droids to keep up.

Lando stopped suddenly, forcing Leia to grab onto Han's arm to keep from falling. He pulled her close and refused to let go even after she regained her balance. For the first time, she did not rail against his protectiveness. She merely glanced up at him and smiled, glad to have him around. "We've reached the main part of the city," Lando announced. "It'll be difficult to avoid being spotted."

"Should we split up?" Leia suggested.

Chewie roared a response, shaking his head. "He says it's too risky," Han translated. "Safety in numbers."

Lando held up a hand. "I have an idea." He stepped back a few feet, searching the wall until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a microphone from the comm station. "Attention, attention, this is Lando Calrissian." His voice boomed out over the city's speaker system. "The Empire has taken control of this city and I advise everyone to evacuate before more Imperial troops arrive." Satisfied with the announcement, he placed the microphone back and motioned for the others to follow him.

Leia offered him a respectable nod. "Very clever."

"It'll make it harder for them to find us, plus I want as many of them to escape as possible."

Han slapped Lando on the back. "You really have turned respectable, huh?"

Lando eyed Han, still grasping Leia's arm. "I could say the same for you."

A sudden round of blaster fire broke the moment and the three of them jumped for cover. Leia glanced around the corner to get a better look. Sure enough, there were stormtroopers in pursuit. With a warrior roar, Chewbacca jumped into the hallway and placed three precise shots to the troopers' chests. Leia gaped at him, unused to seeing him in warrior-mode. She'd grown accustomed to the gentle giant, but she supposed Han wasn't lying when he proclaimed that Chewie could pull people's arms out of their sockets.

She made a mental note never to make Chewie angry.

"How much longer to the platform?" Leia asked after several more close calls with stormtroopers. It felt like they'd been running through the city forever. A thought went through her mind, of the escape from Ord Mantell earlier in the year. She wished that Mara was still with them, not only because she worried about her friend but because the other woman's Force sensitivity would be very useful right about now.

"We're getting close. Just a few more tu—whoa!" Lando jumped back, flattening himself against the wall as a blaster bolt came less than a centimeter from his face. Han reached around the wall, getting off several shots and motioning the rest of them to follow.

"Administrator Calrissian, surely there must be another way to get to the _Millennium Falcon_! If we keep going the same way we are sure to become scrap metal!"

"Quiet, Threepio!" Leia snapped. Han gave her an appreciative look. "We don't have any other choice."

"Oh, dear."

After several more close calls, they finally came to the door to the _Falcon's_ landing platform. Lando ran forward to input his security code…and nothing happened. He banged his hand against the wall in frustration. "The code's been changed!"

"Artoo!" Leia gasped. "You can tell them to override the code!"

The droid let out an affirmative tweet and rolled forward to the computer station. At the same time Red beeped in protest, knocking into Leia's leg.

"Red says that he is perfectly capable of opening the doors as well, Princess Leia."

Leia let out a frustrated sigh. _Why _did Luke have to leave her with two droids who couldn't stand each other? "Listen, I don't care which one of you opens the door! Just do it!"

Red rolled to the other computer station and plugged himself in. Leia hardly had time to roll her eyes before the blaster bolts started flying again.

The four of them pressed themselves against the walls as the two astromechs fiddled at the computer stations. The first round of stormtroopers dropped quickly, but they kept coming and Leia began to worry that their "borrowed" blasters would soon run out of power. They'd grabbed more weapons on the way, but this crossfire was getting ridiculous.

Threepio let out an exasperated cry from behind them. "I don't care about the adjustments to the hyperdrive of the _Millennium Falcon_! Just open the door, you stupid lugs!"

Leia was just about to throw a retort to Threepio when she heard the most beautiful sound in the galaxy—the door to the landing platform scraping open behind them.

"Artoo, I never doubted you for a second! Wonderful!"

"Let's go!" Lando motioned to the others across the intense blasterfire but Leia needed no encouragement. They bolted across the landing platform to the precious _Millennium Falcon_. Leia was so happy to see the ship she could almost kiss it.

Kneeling under the cover of the ship, she kept firing shots into the smoky haze filling the doorway. She was wired, getting off shot upon shot without thinking. It was as if another power was taking hold of her body, urging her on and helping her fight, even though her injuries.

"Leia!" She heard Han's yell from the other side of the ship. "Go!"

She shook her head. The droids were still lumbering toward them. "Start up the ship!"

"Leia—"

"Go, Han! Or do you want _me_ to fly the _Falcon_?"

She heard his frustrated groan but he listened to her anyway and darted onto the ship. Well, that was progress. Chewbacca joined him, leaving herself and Lando to cover for the droids and keep the stromtroopers from advancing.

Finally the droids got onboard and Lando glanced over to where she was standing, on the other side of the ramp. "Leia! Go!"

Leia ducked into the ship, Lando hot on her heels. Once they were inside she dropped her blaster. "Go, Han!" she yelled as loud as she could. The _Falcon _rose into the air and she blew out a breath.

They had made it.

But she did not feel relieved. Mara was with Vader, and Luke was falling right into the Sith Lord's trap.

She ran into the cockpit, blinking away tears.

.

.

.

Luke clutched his lightsaber as he crept through Cloud City's corridors, keeping his free hand close to his blaster. After leaving the security tower, he'd had another easy time of sneaking through the city, avoiding the occasional stormtrooper. Finally he came upon the industrial area of the city and moved further into the lower levels.

He stepped through a doorway and the door hissed shut behind him. He paused for a moment, glancing around with trepidation. _He's waiting for me. _It was an unnerving thought, but Luke continued forward.

Then another door closed behind him and before he could move the floor below him rose swiftly. The lift stopped and the door opened, revealing a large chamber. Luke blinked his eyes, adjusting to the darkness, and peered around the room.

After a moment the lights in the chamber illuminated slightly. He was on the lower level of the chamber. Vast amounts of equipment were scattered around the room. Cloud City was a tibanna gas mining facility—was this was the carbon freezing chamber, then?

Mara had been here, he was sure of it. He recalled his earlier flash of pain and the emptiness he'd felt. Had Mara been frozen in carbonite? Was that Vader's intention for him?

Luke swallowed hard, calling on the Force for calm. He could not submit to anger. Not now.

And then he heard the noise of regulated breathing and the voice that had haunted his nightmares…

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke quietly turned to the Sith Lord, staring at him through impassioned eyes. This was it. This was the moment he'd anticipated for so long—the chance to deliver his father's justice.

But now, he had only one purpose.

Vader stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at the young Jedi. Darkness emanated from him and Luke briefly wondered what the Emperor must feel like, if his Sith apprentice felt so dark.

Is this what Mara had lived with every day of her life? How had she managed to survive and not succumb to darkness?

Mara…

Luke crossed to the bottom of the stairs, but did not climb. Vader was wrong—he _was _a Jedi. And he would not be swayed. "Where is Mara?" He put all the power of the Force behind his words.

Vader tilted his head in curiosity. "Surely you can sense that she is no longer here."

Luke stretched out with the Force, trying to determine if Vader was lying. He couldn't sense Mara anywhere in the city, but perhaps this was some kind of Dark Side trick. Perhaps she'd been frozen in carbonite.

Either way, she had definitely been present in this chamber, when she'd called out to him. Luke took his chances, and asked again, "Where is she?"

Vader paused, then held out a hand. "Come with me and I will show you."

It was the vision from the Dark Side cave, come to life.

Luke stared at him blankly, unwilling to let any emotion show in his face. "I cannot do that."

"Then I will make you."

Luke nodded in resignation. So it had come to this. He climbed the stairs and brandished his lightsaber. But unlike the first vision in the cave, he did not ignite his blade. He would not strike first.

The Sith Lord did. His attack came fast and furious but Luke was ready, smashing away Vader's red blade and launching forward with his own strike.

There was an agreed upon pause as both combatants sized up the other.

And then Vader struck again.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Today is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for a supportive family, nerdy friends, dogs who let me sleep an hour later than usual this morning, my readers and the fanfiction they post, and that I __finally__ get to post this chapter... _

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><p>.<p>

CHAPTER 24

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Vader was strong, intensely strong, and Luke was not prepared for it. The Sith Lord's next parry pushed him down to the floor. He stayed there for a moment, warily eyeing his opponent, before rising and bringing his saber up in a defensive stance. Yoda and Obi-Wan had warned him how strong Vader was; apparently he had not taken the Jedi's words at face value.

They stared at each other and Luke forced the despair out of his soul. It would do him no good, not in this battle. But he couldn't stop himself from trying one more time. He reached out into the Force for Mara's presence, but it was nowhere to be found. His lightsaber flew up, blocking Vader's next strike, before his eyes opened again.

"Your thoughts betray you," Vader taunted. "Your concern for her is touching. Let us end this farce now and you will be with her again."

Luke shook his head, ignoring the words, knowing what Vader wanted. But the Sith wouldn't stop pushing. "Perhaps I should tell you how she screamed?"

A flash of anger coursed through his veins and before he knew what was happening, Luke was slashing against Vader's blade, pushing him back aggressively, striking without logic or reason. Vader brought his lightsaber around in a vicious crosscut and sliced through a piece of equipment, a threat of what would happen to Luke if he did not succeed in this fight.

He calmed slightly as they circled each other, remembering Yoda's words about aggression being part of the Dark Side. And that was exactly what Vader wanted—to push Luke until he snapped and reached out to the darkness.

Sensing Luke's returning calm, Vader began pressing forward. He pointed at Luke with his free hand. "You have learned much, young one."

Luke nodded sadly. Indeed he had learned much during his stay on Dagobah, enough to resist the Dark Side forever. "You'll find I'm full of surprises." He struck again, making quick jabs with his lightsaber, but Vader was there at every movement. His parries were so strong that Luke was thrown off balance and leaned to the side as to not fall over. Vader took advantage and knocked Luke's lightsaber out of his hand. He slashed down but Luke had already rolled down the stairs in pursuit of his weapon.

Vader leaped off the platform and landed menacingly in front of Luke. "Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true."

Luke shook his head. "No." He would not believe Vader's lies, no matter what. Luke knew the truth, and that was all that mattered.

Vader kept edging forward, pushing the defenseless Luke further and further back until he tumbled into what he assumed was the carbon-freezing pit. He mentally cursed himself for making such a blunder. Steam billowed around him and he did the only thing he could think of—he called on the Force and jumped as high as he could, grabbing on to the hoses and other equipment above.

"Perhaps you are not as strong as I thought," he heard Vader say.

The equipment banged loudly as Luke crawled up the hoses, capturing Vader's attention. "Impressive," he offered. He slashed at one of the hoses but Luke had already scurried away. "Most impressive."

Seeing an opening, Luke took advantage and flipped over, landing firmly on his feet. He grabbed the sliced-open hose with his left hand and swung it in Vader's face, at the same time calling his lightsaber back to his right hand. Vader screamed in anger but Luke was ready for the retaliation. Their sabers locked again.

Vader tilted his head in resigned approval. "Obi-Wan has taught your well. You have controlled your fear. Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me!"

Luke refused to give in, knowing that was exactly what Vader wanted. He couldn't give into his anger. Instead he stretched out into the Force for strength, just as he had when he lifted the X-wing from the swamp. He felt the light filling him, offering power and guidance. Listening to the Force, he took a chance and flipped over Vader's bright red blade. He began swinging with all his might, forcing the Sith Lord back until he fell over the edge of the chamber with a roar.

Luke stared down into the blackness, steam from the cut hose billowing around the room. He was sweating and ached already, but the fight had only just begun. Luke jumped after Vader, ready to pursue.

.

.

Vader crept through the corridors of the carbon freezing area. Eventually he came upon control room, the perfect place to set his trap. His son was a formidable opponent, much stronger than Vader had anticipated, a true Jedi. He now understood that his son would need to be soundly defeated before he could be subdued. Vader regretted this, but it was necessary and so it would be done.

He sensed his son's pursuit and waited in the shadows, wanting for Luke to come to him. The way it should be.

Luke entered the control room. Vader used the Force to close the grate behind the boy, watching in silence as Luke took stock of his surroundings, lightsaber firmly in hand. He was a true warrior, just as Anakin had been. It would take a while to overcome the boy's Jedi training, but when that happened Vader would have himself a worthy apprentice.

And then they could overthrow the Emperor.

Luke stood still, facing the viewport, waiting for an attack. Vader could feel him reaching out into the Force—for Mara or for himself, he didn't know. Knowing it was time Vader took down his shields, announcing his presence.

Luke turned immediately, igniting his lightsaber and bringing it up to guard. For the first time Vader truly looked at his son's lightsaber, the blade that had once brought Anakin Skywalker so many triumphs…and his ultimate failure. The last time he'd seen the weapon, it was in the hands of the traitorous Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man who had gone on to fill his son's head with lies. The man who had twisted Vader's own wife against him. The man who had stolen Vader's son, his one true hope. Long-repressed anger boiled to the surface and he had no choice to give in, to show Luke the true power of the Dark Side.

Vader strode forward, mimicking Luke's pose they faced off against each other. His son was filled with nervous energy, rocking back and forth on his feet, the gestures so incredibly familiar that they almost brought a pang to Vader's heart.

Vader started slowly, disconnecting a piece of equipment from the wall and floating it to Luke. His son was ready, slashing it in two before it could connect with his body. Vader took the opportunity to press forward, releasing all of his anger and strength in a round of quick slashes against the blade that had once been his own. Luke held his ground but Vader would show him that he was no match for the true power of the Dark Side.

Their blades locked and Vader hurled another piece of equipment at Luke. The boy used the Force to push it away, still keeping his saber at the ready. Vader hurled more and more machinery at Luke, creating a veritable storm in the Force, but Luke held them all at bay. Vader pressed forward with his saber, trying to split the boy's concentration, but he would not be overwhelmed. Yes, his son was powerful, extremely powerful. If he only understood how much more power he could have!

Luke kept resiting Vader's onslaught, using the Force and his blade, but then he made his mistake. He stepped aside to dodge another piece of equipment and it crashed into the viewport, shattering it to pieces. The gale force wind from the outside air shaft whipped into the control room. Both father and son tried to grab onto whatever was in reach, but Luke was too close to the window and was sucked out of the room, tumbling into the city below.

Vader could sense that the boy was alive and, as the wind died down, he walked to the viewport. His son was holding onto a gantry, pulling himself to safety.

Extinguishing his lightsaber, Vader walked back through the corridors.

.

.

Luke slowly and cautiously crept back inside the city, on guard for any sign of Vader. He regained control of himself after the exertion in the control room. Expending that much power in the Force had exhausted him, but he refused to give up. He was a Jedi.

Then Vader was there, slashing down with his red saber, nearly taking Luke's head off. Luke ducked and ignited his lightsaber at the same time, bringing himself back to his full height. Vader's blows were harder and faster than ever, pushing Luke back in the direction he came. Vader was furious, drawing on the Dark Side, relentless and seemingly unstoppable. Luke thought back to his question to Yoda, asking if the Dark Side was stronger. The Jedi Master had said it wasn't, but now Luke was beginning to have doubts.

But he could not afford to have doubts. Not while he was fighting Darth Vader. He had to believe that he could win this fight.

They passed through the doorway to the outside and Vader slashed as hard as he could against the walls, sparks flying everywhere. Luke ducked, turned, and ran to escape the onslaught.

They pushed further down the walkway and Luke realized that he was being cornered. The gantry came to a dead end. Luke needed to turn himself around, push Vader back, but he couldn't. Vader's strikes were too hard, too fast, corralling him into a place with nowhere to go. Vader's next move knocked him onto his back, the red blade pressed delicately at Luke's face.

He growled menacingly. "You are beaten! It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

Luke found a new surge of strength at the mention of his old master. He gritted his teeth and swatted away Vader's saber, exchanging several quick blows before rolling to his feet. Then, it happened.

Luke got in a strike on Vader's shoulder.

It happened so fast he almost didn't see it, but Vader's snarl was evidence enough that it had happened. Luke took advantage of the distraction to run away. He climbed onto the smaller gantry, ducking another strike from Vader's lightsaber. He was trying to hold on with his left arm as he brought his right arm up fight Vader.

He realized, a fraction of a second too late, his life-threatening mistake.

Vader's red blade circled his own, then sliced cleanly through his wrist.

It was as if a million needles jabbed into his wrist at once. His skin burned, fires trailing up his arm as his nerve endings exploded in pain. He screamed as he'd never screamed before, not bothering to hide his agony. His hand, and the lightsaber attached to it, simply floated away into the Cloud City sky. Instinctively he clutched his wrist under his arm, wanting to protect the wound even though there had been no blood.

He didn't want to see it. Didn't want to see what Vader had done to him…

"There is no escape." Vader's blade was pointed directly at Luke. "Don't make me destroy you."

Luke glanced up at the black-clad Sith Lord, refusing to admit defeat. He may be defenseless, but he was not beaten. Not with the Force as his ally.

He crawled down the gantry, holding on with his good arm, knowing that he had to get away from Vader. He didn't know what he would do once he got to the end of the gantry, but for now he just had to get away.

Away from Vader.

"Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy!"

Luke tried to ignore Vader but he couldn't, Vader's words ignited a fire in Luke's soul and he whipped his head around to declare proudly, "I'll never join you!"

"If you only knew the power of the Dark Side…" Vader trailed off, tempting Luke with the offer of infinite power and knowledge, just as he'd been offered in a former life. But Luke knew the truth. The Dark Side offered nothing but pain and sadness, emptiness and regret. Vader had lived the past twenty years alone, trapped behind his armor, abiding by the Emperor's every whim. Luke would not listen to the same false promises. He had felt the power of the Light Side and vowed never to give into the darkness, no matter what the cost.

Luke reached the end of the gantry, maneuvering to grab hold of the railing while pivoting to face Vader again. The Sith Lord was watching him with interest, and tried one more time: "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father…"

Luke's head snapped up. He could hardly believe that Vader would choose _this_ moment to taunt him with this knowledge, but he shouldn't have been surprised. Not after all the things he'd learned.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he stared in disbelief at the man standing in front of him.

The man who had taken his hand, and given him life.

Luke shook his head in youthful defiance, smiling wistfully. "Oh, but he did. They told me everything…

_"Father."_


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

.

He knew.

Vader stared at his son in shock for a long moment. _He_ was supposed to be the one to tell Luke about his heritage. _He_ was the one who was supposed to explain everything to him.

Somehow, even from beyond the grave, Kenobi had stolen that privilege away from him as well. Kenobi and whoever else had trained Luke in the ways of the Force.

His son stared back at him with harsh, pained eyes; eyes that were so familiar. His breathing was hard and ragged. His physical agony shone through the Force, yet he betrayed none of it on his face.

Vader was proud of Luke…and as that thought went through his mind, he was almost disgusted with himself.

But nothing else mattered now. Vader _had_ to convince Luke to join him. Mara Jade had been correct—his son would not be forcibly converted to the Dark Side. This was a decision that Luke needed to make for himself, with every possible piece of information placed in front of him.

"So," Vader said in slow, even tones, "you know the truth."

His son nodded defiantly. "Did you believe that the truth would stay hidden from me forever, _Father_?"

"You do not understand. Come with me and I will explain everything."

"You know I won't do that. I'd rather die."

"Even at the expense of Mara Jade's life?"

Luke's eyes flashed. "You would do this to your own son?"

"You can save her, Luke. All you need to do is join me!"

"I'll _never_ join you!"

He just didn't understand! Vader _had _to make him understand! Surely he knew what the Emperor would do to Jade when she was back in his clutches. Surely Luke understood that this war needed to come to an end. It could all be so easy—Luke just had to accept it, as Anakin had.

Vader reached out his hand, imploring his son to listen to reason. "Luke, we can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this! It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!"

.

.

His father's hand reached out for his, so close yet so far away. It would be so easy to accept his offer, to end the incredible agony coursing through his mind and body, to save Mara.

But he couldn't. It went against everything he had learned as a Jedi, everything he believed as a man. _Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny_, Master Yoda had instructed him.

His father had once believed that he could outsmart the Emperor; that he could overthrow him once he got what he wanted. But instead he destroyed everything he ever held dear. Anakin Skywalker had died and Vader had lived the following twenty years alone, a servant of a man who twisted all the goodness out of his heart until all that was left was blackness.

Even still, the man in front of him was his father…the man Luke had idolized his entire life…and a part of him could not deny that he wanted nothing more than to take his father's hand and let him fix everything.

And perhaps there was still good in him. Luke could feel it, buried deep down. Vader would not kill him.

But if he joined his father, no matter what the reason, he would destroy everything he'd ever fought for. No, he would not make the same mistakes as Anakin Skywalker. Not even for Mara.

Especially not for Mara.

Sensing Luke's hesitation, his father reached out even farther, his gloved hand holding every promise in the galaxy. "Join me! It is the only way!"

But it wasn't.

Luke remembered Leia's question from several years ago: _If you had to sacrifice yourself for the good of the galaxy, would you?_ He hadn't hesitated to say yes.

And mere days ago, during a discussion about attachment and the Jedi, Master Yoda had asked: _But if the will of the Force it is to let go of a loved one, able to let that happen, would you be? _The answer to that question had not come so easily. He had answered as a true Jedi—that he would listen to the Force.

And now, the Force sang to him in a melody so clear he could focus on nothing else.

He glanced down at the cavernous depths of the air shaft, and had his answer.

He let go of the gantry…and fell.

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.

There was a spark of resigned acceptance in his son's blue eyes, a wistful smile full of regret. Vader's eyes widened beneath his mask and he opened his mouth to scream out…

But his son was already gone, falling into the depths of Cloud City.

_No!_

Vader's hands clenched around the gantry as all his hope fell away with his son. This couldn't be happening. Luke was his chance to rid the galaxy of Palpatine. Luke was his chance to make everything right. And now he was de—

No; Vader could feel it, a small ray of light pulsing from below the city. His son was _alive_! The fall had not killed him. He felt foolish now. Of course it hadn't. His son was a Jedi, and other Jedi had survived falls far greater.

With renewed purpose, Vader strode back into the city, comlink already removed from his belt. "Bring my shuttle."

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Luke expected oblivion but instead felt himself sliding against a smooth surface. He opened his eyes and realized that he'd been sucked into one of the gas ports. Instinct took over and he reached out his lone hand to stop his momentum, finding it difficult to maintain a grip on the surface. He slowed eventually but then the trapdoor below him fell open and he found himself sliding along another tube. This time he could not stop himself and tumbled out of the gas port, crashing against a weathervane and somehow managing to grab hold at the last moment.

Every centimeter of his body screamed out in pain, but adrenaline coursed through his body and he pulled himself up with his one good arm, reaching up to the trapdoor to climb his way back inside. But the door hissed shut before he could reach it and a gust of wind nearly blew Luke over, leaving him hanging upside down from the weathervane.

Now, with nothing else to do but ponder his next action, he began to worry.

He had accepted death as the only viable option, but had survived. Was it the Will of the Force for him to live on? He could only assume so, as the fall would have killed a normal person. But what was he to do now? Surely Vader would come for him, and then what? Would Luke then let go of the weathervane and plummet into the thick atmosphere below?

For not the first time in his life he felt dumbfounded, with absolutely no idea what to do. All he knew was that he wished desperately that he could hold Mara in his arms one more time. He wished he could tell Leia the truth.

_Leia!_

The idea flickered to life, and Luke suddenly knew exactly what to do.

He stretched out into the Force, searching for the familiar presence…and called out to his sister.

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The _Millennium Falcon_ twisted gracefully as Han avoided laser fire from pursuing TIE fighters. Han and Chewbacca were shouting at each other but Leia was not worried, as she knew that was how they worked under pressure. Lando was in the gunnery turret, doing his best to stave off the TIEs. The three droids were safely in the main hold, locked out of the cockpit.

Leia'd been fighting to return to Cloud City and help Luke and Mara ever since they lifted off from the landing platform. But Han had refused, saying that he'd promised to get Leia to safety and that Luke knew what he was doing.

"Leia, you got the coordinates?"

She'd taken on navigator duties to allow Han and Chewie to concentrate on avoiding the TIE fighters. "Yes."

He turned round at her timid and angry voice. "We're doing the right thing, Princess." But for the first time, he looked nearly as pained as she did.

"We can't just leave him there, Han."

"We have no other choice." With a grimace, he turned his attention back to flying.

And there it was again, that odd feeling that had plagued her every so often since Alderaan. Something was at the very edge of her mind, whispering, but she couldn't understand what it was saying. She'd never been able to comprehend this instinct of hers.

Except for where Luke was concerned…

Leia shot up in her chair. She felt it now, she was absolutely certain. It was as clear as if he'd been speaking directly into her ear. "Luke," she whispered, suddenly knowing exactly where he was and that he needed their help to survive. She jumped up and shook Han's shoulder, imploring him to listen to her. "Han, we've got to go back!"

Han groaned, not really paying attention. "Listen, sweetheart, we already discussed this—"

"I know where he is! Trust me!"

He glanced sharply at her. "Trust _you_? Isn't that my line?"

"Han, I'm serious! I know where Luke is. He needs our help!"

"Leia, we can't—"

"_Please_, Han!"

He sighed. "Okay. Tell me where he is."

She shoved him over and practically sat in his lap, trying to hold on to that tenuous connection with Luke, directing Han where he needed to go. After a few moments she pointed at a spot underneath the city. "There!"

"There? Are you sure?"

"I'm certain. Move closer!"

Han shook his head, toggling the comm. "Lando, is there anything under the city?"

"Under it? Nah, just a bunch of weathervanes. That area's all industrial, anyways. Why?"

"Listen, we're gonna need you to get down here."

"Sure."

Han cut off the comm and muttered, "Kid, what did you get yourself into this time?"

Leia pointed to one of the weathervanes. "He's there!"

"I see him. Chewie, take her in nice and easy, huh?" The Wookiee roared affirmatively just as Lando entered the cockpit.

"What's going on?" Han pointed out the viewport and Lando's eyes widened. "Is that your friend?"

"Yeah."

"How the hell did he get down there?"

"I don't know. Go open the top hatch, will ya? We're gonna get under him."

"I'm going to help." Leia bounced from her seat before Han could restrain her.

She chewed her fingernails while waiting for Lando to fetch Luke from the top hatch. She could see the bright sky as it opened and prayed that Luke was okay. _We're coming, Luke, _she tried to reassure him, wondering if he could hear her thoughts just as she could hear his. What did that mean?

Then he was there, cradled around Lando's body and she couldn't help herself. She launched herself at him, clutching him in a fervent embrace, tears falling on his torn jacket. "Oh, Luke."

"Hi Leia," he whispered back, voice hoarse.

She nodded to Lando, already heading toward the medibunk. Luke could barely walk and she couldn't miss that he was missing his right hand. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to gasp in horror.

She laid him down on the medibunk, hooking him up to fluids and painkillers and connecting a tourniquet to his wrist. She had only a working knowledge of field medicine and no clue how to treat his more serious injuries. For now she could only make sure that he was as comfortable as possible.

When she'd done all she could she sank back on her heels and just looked at the man in front of her. Other than the loss of his hand, he had several bruises and contusions. His hair was matted and his breathing was short and shallow.

In other words, he looked like hell.

She reached out and grasped his hand, kissing it gently. He opened his eyes at her touch and tried to reach out for her too, only to find that his other hand was gone. There was a pained look in his eyes at the realization.

She didn't want to make him hurt any more, but she couldn't hold back her question. "Do you know where Mara is?" He didn't respond, merely continued to look at the tourniquet where his right hand should be. "Luke? If you know where she is we can go help her."

He shook his head sadly. "She was already gone."

"I…I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say. She squeezed his hand. "We'll find her, Luke. Don't worry."

He ran his hand down her cheek and smiled. "Never thought I'd see you again…have to tell you…"

She leaned forward to hear his whispered words but the painkillers took hold, his head collapsing against the bunk. She watched him for a moment, then ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Sleep well. I love you." She could sense him so clearly, and the words felt so natural to say…

Something clicked in her mind, that instinct that had been growing ever since Alderaan—ever since she'd met Luke, who could use the Force—and things finally started to make sense.

Mouth opening in wonderment, she stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.

Weapons fire brought her out of her reverie and she leaned over to kiss Luke's forehead. "I'll be back," she whispered. She made her way into the cockpit, where Han and Chewie were shouting anxiously. She didn't have to ask what the problem was. It was right there in front of her.

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Back on his flagship, Darth Vader strode down the command walkway toward Admiral Piett, who was standing at attention. "Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the _Millennium Falcon_?" he asked without preamble.

"Yes, my lord. They should be in range of our tractor beam in moments."

"Good. Prepare a boarding party, and set your weapons for stun." Vader continued on to the viewport to watch the elusive freighter escape the fire of the pursuing TIEs. Vader did not bother to call off the fighters even though he was certain his son was on that ship. The pilot, Solo, was good and wouldn't fall prey to the pursuing TIEs.

As he watched his son fall through the depths of Cloud City, Vader had felt a desperation like he'd never felt before. His son could not die, not when there was so much left to do! He remembered that horrible day on Mustafar, and his wife's rejection of his offer to rule the galaxy together. Her refusal had tore at his soul and ignited a rage he hadn't known existed.

He'd rejected her offer as well; her plea to come away with her and raise their child together, but he'd had his own desires.

Vader shook his head. There was still time left…he did not want it to come to this, but he'd do whatever was necessary to bring his son into the Empire. But there was one last chance…

Watching the tiny outline of the _Millennium Falcon_, Vader reached out for his son. The bond between them was sparking now and it was impossible to resist. _Luke…_

His son's reaction was immediate and hopeful. Vader heard the whispered _Father _and it brought joy to his soul that he hadn't known was possible. All he wanted was for his son to claim his destiny. What could possibly be wrong with that?

_Luke, come with me._

His son reached back to him with his burgeoning strength in the Force… then he was gone.

Vader's eyes narrowed behind his helmet. They would do this the hard way, then, and his son would learn his lesson.

Just as Anakin had.

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Threepio often stated that he was made to suffer, but rarely did he believe it as much as at the current moment, standing in the main hold of the _Millennium Falcon_ with a screaming human, a howling Wookiee, and two bickering droids fretting about. He did not understand how he always came to be in such precarious situations and wondered what exactly he'd done to offend the Maker so.

The well-dressed Lando Calrissian had moved from the gunnery turret to the cockpit and Master Luke had gone there as well. In the meanwhile, the aforementioned human and Wookiee were trying to fix the mysteriously broken hyperdrive.

Artoo bumped against him, tweetling with insistence. Threepio gave him his best approximation of a glare. "I don't know where you get these delusions, Artoo Detoo! Captain Solo and Chewbacca are perfectly capable of fixing the hyperdrive themselves!"

_I KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. _Artoo rolled off and hooked himself up to a computer terminals.

"What are you talking about? Where in the worlds did you learn how to fix a freighter's hyperdrive?"

_MY FORMER MASTER TAUGHT ME._

There was another indignant tweet and Threepio turned to see Red rolling off to the other terminal. _MY MISTRESS ALSO INSTRUCTED ME ON SUCH MATTERS. I CAN HELP, TOO._

"Oh, this is madness!" Threepio moaned. "We have two perfectly capable mechanics working on the hyperdrive and you two are having delusions of grandeur!"

The droids did not respond. Threepio began to get very annoyed. "Listen to me, you overweight globs of grease, Captain Solo does not like droids tinkering with his ship! Unplug yourselves at once—oh!" His last word was punctuated with a surprised yelp as he crashed into the bulkhead. Captain Solo and Chewbacca also fell down but did not seem to be angry. Instead they began cheering in a very curious manner.

"Artoo! Red!" Threepio exclaimed, realizing what had happened. "You did it! You fixed the hyperdrive! See, you two _can_ work together after all!"

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Luke was relieved when the _Falcon_ jumped to hyperspace but felt no joy. He was certain he'd made the right decision, but it didn't matter. It felt as if his heart had been torn from his chest.

Rising from his seat, he exited the cockpit and walked to the medibunk before Leia could say anything to him. He needed to be alone. She didn't follow.

Once in the bunk he closed his eyes, the reality of the situation catching up to him. How long had it been since he'd landed on Cloud City? An hour? Not even? In that short amount of time, his entire world had spiraled out of control.

He would never be able to understand how the right decision could feel so horrible. Would Mara ever be able to forgive him for leaving her? Would he be able to forgive himself?

His eyes opened when something jolted against the medibunk. Red was there, his dome twirling back and forth. He tweeted a question.

Luke sighed, not needing a translation. "I'm sorry." He patted the astromech's dome. "I wasn't able to save her."

Red chirped mournfully. Luke closed his eyes again and allowed the tears to flow.


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: In the spirit of the holidays - and because I just finished the first draft of Part 3 for Nanowrimo - I will be posting updates more frequently. Enjoy!_

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CHAPTER 26

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It was a long time before Vader moved from his spot in front of the viewport, staring out into now-empty space. The _Millennium Falcon_ had escaped once again, and his son along with it.

His son, who had known of their relationship and still fought against him…his son, who knew what Palpatine was capable of and still refused to join the Dark Side to save the woman he loved.

Vader couldn't understand it. How could his son have just let himself…fall away? Did he not comprehend the power the Dark Side offered? Did he not realize that he could rule the galaxy, end this Force-forsaken war, and make things the way he wanted them?

Or did he know all those things…and just not care?

Vader abruptly turned from the viewport. Piett stood to the side of the bridge, watching him with timid eyes. The other officers struggled to maintain their composure as Vader strode down the command walkway, anticipating the moment when he would lash out in anger.

But he was too empty to lash out. This was no longer about the _Millennium Falcon _eluding his grasp. He had offered everything to his son…and Luke had said no.

And it hurt.

Vader had thought he was long past the ability to feel the pain of rejection, but this stung to his very core. He vividly remembered making a similar offer to his wife on Mustafar, but she had also said no.

Perhaps Luke was more like his mother than Vader had anticipated.

Vader pushed himself through the pain, internalizing it, just as it did his anger. It would give him strength.

Admiral Piett stood at rigid attention, ready to explain the situation to Lord Vader and hopefully save his life. But Vader cut him off before he could speak, unwilling to listen to any excuses.

It had been a disaster…but not completely.

"Has Mara Jade been taken care of?"

The admiral blinked, momentarily shaken by Vader's question. Then he nodded with military precision. "Yes, Lord Vader. The shuttle docked successfully and she has been transferred. The Destroyer is currently in hyperspace."

"Very good, admiral. Continue on to Imperial Center."

Not bothering to wait for a response Vader swept off the command walkway, acutely aware that every single eye on the bridge was bored onto his back.

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"Ma'am? Ma'am? Ma'am, can you hear me?"

The voice came from Mara's right side, carrying the clipped tones of a Coruscanti accent. She blinked open her eyes and threw up her arm to block the bright light of the room. Her head pounded and the room spun, causing her to retch.

Something jabbed into her arm and she hissed in pain, but then the spinning stopped and the throbbing in her head began to ease slightly.

Her mind was still whirling, but she started to piece things together. They'd stuck something in her arm. A hypo?

Was she in a medcenter?

"Ma'am, can you hear me?" The voice persisted and Mara turned her head toward the offender.

She could barely make out his face. He looked to be middle aged, with gray hair and a bushy mustache. He wore an Imperial officer's uniform, which was definitely not good.

She remembered then, coming in flashes—a confrontation with Vader; reaching out to Luke, telling him to stay away; Vader turning on her in a fit of rage; invisible hands squeezing the air from her lungs; a lightsaber hilt smashing against her skull.

She shuddered violently as it all came back to her.

"Ma'am?" The officer was staring at her intently, trying to get some sort of reaction.

There was no need to fight when she was in such a state. It would not do her any good. "Yes." She was barely able to speak.

The officer relaxed visibly. "Very good, ma'am. Do you know who you are?"

"Mara Jade." The words came automatically and she belatedly realized that she shouldn't have admitted her identity, not to the enemy. But for some reason the man in front of her felt safe. Nothing else felt safe, but he did. That was interesting.

He nodded, looking relieved. "Yes, Lady Jade."

_Lady_ Jade? Now that was odd.

She started to get woozy again but gritted her teeth through the spell. She needed more information. "Who are you?"

The officer placed a hand on her arm, trying to calm her or offer some sort of comfort. "Do not worry, ma'am. You're safe. My name is Commander Pellaeon. I am the senior bridge officer of the _Chimaera_."

_"Chimaera?"_

"The Star Destroyer, ma'am. You are in the medcenter, being treated by our top physicians. You've suffered a head injury, but you should recover nicely."

She tried to get her head around the situation. She was on the _Chimaera_, still in Imperial custody, but not with Vader. Why wasn't she with Vader? He'd been the one to capture her.

The _Chimaera_ wasn't even one of Death Squadron's ships.

She then got another flash of insight. What was a senior bridge officer doing in the medbay, checking up on a prisoner? Why was she even in a medbay? She should be in the brig and left to suffer.

Unless something else was going on…

She fell into another coughing fit and Pellaeon tightened his grip on her arm. "You should rest, ma'am. We'll be at Imperial Center soon."

"Imperial Center?" Her eyes snapped open and she shot up in the medibunk. It was too much for her weakened body and she collapsed back to the bunk, taking in huge gulps of air. She didn't know if she was having trouble breathing because of her injury or because of what Pellaeon had just said.

He placed a hand on her forehead and gestured to someone that Mara couldn't see. "The Emperor is anxiously awaiting your return, ma'am. Do not worry. This will help you rest."

"No—"

She barely got out her word before the medic appeared from behind Pellaeon and jabbed another hypo into her arm. Her eyes fluttered and she wanted desperately to fight, but all she could see was blackness.

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In his two and a half years in the Alliance military, Luke had seen and been in his share of medbays. The facility he was now in, onboard the medical frigate _Redemption_, was like most of the others, except much more state-of-the-art.

He'd been brought here as soon as the _Falcon_ arrived back at the fleet, not even bothering to stop at _Home One_ first. At the time he'd been falling in and out of consciousness, despite Leia's attempts to stabilize him in the _Falcon_'s small medibunk. He was barely awake as a medic took his vital signs and announced that Commander Skywalker needed to be submerged in bacta immediately to heal the damage caused from his fall through Cloud City. Luke hated bacta but he hadn't the strength to protest.

Now, three days later, Luke was lying on another medibunk as the Two-Onebee droid tended to Luke's new cybernetic hand. With the access panel flap open, it was easy for Luke to think of his hand as just another piece of machinery, instead of the replacement for the hand he had lost.

The hand his own father had cut off with absolutely no remorse.

When Two-Onebee closed the flap after finishing with his calibrations, however, it was an entirely different story. The hand looked completely natural; only after scrutinizing his wrist did he notice the seam where natural flesh met prosthetic.

This was his new hand. Hopefully, this one would last longer than the last.

He took a deep breath, pushing aside the melancholy that had been his constant companion since returning from Bespin. Perhaps with his new hand, he could make a new start. He could forget about the horrible truth surrounding his parentage and focus only on finding and rescuing Mara.

The door opened and Leia stepped in, brandishing a small, encouraging smile as she gazed upon his new hand. "Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Leia took a seat next to the bunk and Luke realized suddenly that he would never be able to forget about his parentage, not with Leia around.

They smiled at each other awkwardly before Luke turned his attention back to his hand. The droid was just about to test the nerve-endings and make sure that everything was working correctly.

Leia gestured to the hand. "How does it feel?"

"Weird." Luke clenched and unclenched his fist. "Like it's a part of me, but not."

"It'll take some getting used to, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Right." Luke cringed when the Two-Onebee repeatedly stuck a needle in his palm. "Ow."

Leia patted his arm. "All right?"

"Well, at least I know that the nerves work okay."

Two-Onebee retracted the needles. "Everything appears to be in working order, Commander Skywalker. Do you have any questions?"

Luke shook his head. "No, thank you."

Leia waited until the droid left the room before speaking again. "How long will you have to stay here?"

"They want me to stay another night for observation, just in case. But I feel fine now. You don't have to stay here on my account. I know you have a lot of work to do on _Home One_—"

"And I don't care about all that. I want to make sure you're okay."

"I am, Leia."

"Are you really?"

As always she was able to tell how he was really feeling, but that no longer surprised him. It all made perfect sense now. Being this close to her…how could he not have known?

Through the silence, Leia reached out to take Luke's hand in hers. She ran her fingers over it, intrigued. Luke chuckled as her fingers ran over a sensitive spot. "See? It's good as new. And if I do have any problems, I can always ask Hobbie for advice."

Leia laughed, but looked slightly distracted. "Right."

"Leia? Are you all right?"

She shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "I know this isn't the best time, but I have to ask you something."

"Anything you want, Leia. Go ahead."

She didn't speak for a long moment and Luke began to wonder what had shaken her so badly. Then her usual calm took hold and her eyes met his. "Are you able to tell if someone can use the Force?"

His eyes widened. Did she suspect? "Um…I really don't know. If I pay close attention and the person doesn't know how to shield herself, I probably could. Why?"

"You could tell that Mara could use the Force from the beginning, right?"

He bit his lip, forcing away the negative thoughts. "Yes. But that was a special case. Mara already knew how to use the Force and we bonded from the beginning." Luke hoped his answer didn't make Leia question where Mara had learned to use the Force.

Thankfully, she didn't pursue that line of thought. She seemed to be distracted by something else. "Did you feel a bond with me?"

Luke's brow creased. "What?"

She stared intently at him. "When we first met, did you feel a bond with me?"

"Um…" He wasn't sure how to answer that question. He opted for honesty. "Yes, I did. I think that's why I…why…why I felt so close to you right away." It was very awkward to discuss his initial attraction for his twin sister. Ignorant of their true relationship, he could only assume that his intense feelings for the Princess of Alderaan meant that he was attracted to her. It made sense, after all. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman and he was a farm kid. Why wouldn't he be attracted to her?

But Luke had quickly realized that his feelings for Leia were that of a close friend, not a girlfriend. And then he met Mara. But he'd never stopped feeling drawn to Leia, as if they were also meant to share each other's lives but in a very different manner.

Now, it all made sense.

"Leia, why did you ask me if I could tell if people could use the Force?"

She didn't mince words. "Because I want to know if I can, too."

Luke knew the answer—of course she could—but not because he had some special ability to sense other Force users. He paused, considering what to say. "Why do you think that?"

"On Cloud City I…I could sense Mara's pain…and then I heard you call out to me…and it wasn't just because you can use the Force, was it? Or else you could've called to Han…"

Luke sighed. Of course his sister was too smart to be dissuaded. "Yes." He glanced to her face, a mask of questions. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I used to wonder about all these instincts I had…these feelings that went against all logical thought but I just _knew _that they were right. I thought I was just being emotional…"

"It was the Force," Luke finished for her, "telling you what to do."

"Yes. Is that what it's like?"

"In the beginning. You get flashes of insight that you don't necessarily understand. Eventually, you learn to listen to the Force and control it." Leia's mouth opened, closed again. Luke clasped her hand again, squeezed it. "Are you all right?"

"I…I think so."

"You can learn to use the Force, Leia. I can help you. We can train together. Mara, too." _When I get her back, _he added silently.

Leia hesitated. "I don't know, Luke…I don't think I could ever have the power that you do."

"You're wrong, Leia."

"How do you know?"

And there it was. Did he answer honestly? Did he tell her the truth? _Could _he tell her the truth?

She gazed at him with curious brown eyes and he couldn't deny her. She deserved to know.

"I know," he took a deep breath, "because you're my sister." He hadn't meant to say it that quickly, throwing it out there without any preparation. It was like tearing off a bandage—do it quickly and it would hurt less.

He could barely look at her face as she comprehended his words. "I…what?"

He suppressed a smile at her astonishment. It was the same reaction he'd had when Master Yoda and Obi-Wan had told him. In the end, he was more surprised that he hadn't figured it out by himself.

He stared down at their hands, entwined together—brother and sister. "We're twins, Leia. I learned the truth during my Jedi training."

She followed his gaze and her mouth dropped open. "T—twins?"

"Yes. We were separated after we were born to protect us from the Emperor."

Leia nodded in understanding; she remembered Luke's stories about his father having been killed by Darth Vader. Her face broke into a small smile. "I…how did I know? Somehow…I've always known." Of course she had. From the beginning she'd thought of him as a brother.

They didn't speak for long moments, holding and staring at their hands. Slowly, Leia moved to take his real hand, and as their skin touched he felt a spark of recognition. Leia gasped, sensing it, too.

"Luke," she moved to the medibunk, forcing him over so she could lie next to him, "my brother."

"My sister." He held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. It felt so right to be near her, like coming home. Obi-Wan had explained that they'd been separated for their own safety and had apologized for not telling the truth the first time Luke laid eyes on Leia, in that hologram in his garage. Luke understood but would always regret not growing up with his sister. They were twins and they were finally back where they belonged—with each other.

She broke down then, collapsing into his arms. He stroked his fingers through her hair and cried right along with her.

There was more to tell her, so much more, but he couldn't destroy this moment. They were together, as it was meant to be, and all he cared about was holding his sister in his arms. The rest of the galaxy was falling apart, but with her he felt safe. And he somehow knew that everything would be okay, because from now on, no matter what else happened…they had each other.


	27. Chapter 27

**So yesterday I had to be talked down off the ledge. My USB flash drive - the one with all my fic on it - broke. Thankfully, I had all but four chapters of Part III saved elsewhere. But of course, those four chapters were the climax of the fic, and all the action scenes I tear my hair out while writing. For a moment, I was ready to throw in the towel. But the lovely ginchy talked me off the ledge and then I decided to rework the big climax anyway. So I did, and hopefully it will be better this way. We'll see when we get there.**

**And now, on with some inappropriate Han Solo humor.**

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CHAPTER 27

.

Leia returned to _Home One _the following day, summoned by Mon Mothma to attend a Command meeting. They'd postponed it long enough and now it was time to get back to work, as it always was for her.

But something had changed since she found out the truth. The idea that she could use the Force was both intimidating and intoxicating. Suddenly all her instincts made sense, how they'd been increasing in frequency ever since Luke came into her life, as if being close to him made her stronger in the Force.

The entirety of Alliance Command was present for this meeting. Mon Mothma presided from the head of the table, beginning the meeting without any preamble. After running down a list of upcoming missions, she got to the heart of the matter—the debacle on Bespin.

Leia stood to present her report, her stomach twisting with nervousness. The failure at Cloud City had cost the Alliance valuable personnel and tibanna gas supplies. It would push back the war effort considerably and Leia took personal responsibility for the failure.

"And you are sure that Baron Calrissian was not involved in the plot to capture your group?" Borsk Fey'lya asked when Leia finished her report. His creamy fur bristled with skepticism.

She took a deep breath, refusing to let the Bothan get the best of her. He'd been one of the biggest annoyances in Alliance Command since he and his group of spies had joined the Alliance. Leia knew all the benefits, of course, as the Bothan spy network was something of legend.

But sometimes she wanted to throttle that Bothan, especially now.

"Yes, Councilor," she said politely. "Administrator Calrissian was captured along with the rest of us. It was a Black Sun operative that spotted us and tipped off the Empire."

"Hmm." Fey'lya directed his next comment to Chief Mothma. "Perhaps Councilor Organa should withdraw from future missions, as she is recognizable and could endanger our personnel."

Leia felt her haunches rise but refused to let him get her bait. Thankfully, Chief Mothma seemed to be on her side. "Princess Leia has been one of our most active leaders and her efforts have been extremely beneficial to us. Sidelining her, as you suggest, would cause more trouble than it is worth."

Fey'lya bowed his head in submission. "Of course, ma'am. It was merely a suggestion."

_A suggestion that would potentially put you and your supporters on all my scheduled missions and gain even more favor in the Alliance, _Leia thought scornfully.

Chief Mothma cleared her throat and turned to General Cracken. "Have your agents been able to discern any possible location for Lieutenant Jade?"

Cracken shook his head. "No, ma'am. Commander Skywalker reported that Lieutenant Jade was already off Cloud City when they escaped. She could have been transported to the _Executor_, but he does not believe that to be the case. It is most likely that her shuttle rendezvoused with another Star Destroyer. We're having our contacts look into the recent manifests for all of Death Squadron." He paused, seemingly hesitant to continue. He glanced at General Madine, who nodded encouragingly. "We do, however, believe that we know Lieutenant Jade's final destination."

Leia gripped the arms of her chair. If Cracken had figured out where they would take her, they could start organizing a rescue!

Chief Mothma also seemed encouraged. "Please continue, General."

Cracken straightened up in his chair. "You are all aware of Lieutenant Jade's history in the Empire."

"Of course. That was the reason why she transferred to Intelligence."

Leia suppressed a smile, thinking of the _other _reason for Mara's transfer.

"Yes, ma'am. Unfortunately, General Madine and I were not completely truthful as to the extent of her position in the Empire."

There was a murmur around the table. They all knew the story of Mara's original claim that she'd been a TIE fighter pilot and instead had turned out to be a high-ranking Imperial agent. She'd claimed that she kept the secret because she was scared a reprimand from the Alliance leadership, although Leia knew that she was mostly worried about what Luke and the rest of the Rogues would say. That Command meeting after their escape from the _Executor _still haunted Leia's dreams, when she accused Luke of lying to Command and questioned Mara's trustworthiness. She'd had a gut instinct that there was something more going on… Had she been right all along?

Chief Mothma set her jaw. She didn't appreciate being lied to. "Continue, general."

"Please understand, ma'am, that any information kept secret was done so for Lieutenant Jade's safety, as well as the benefit of the entire Alliance."

"I will take that into consideration."

General Madine spoke this time, taking some of the heat off his colleague. "After the mission where the _Executor _pulled Rogue Squadron out of hyperspace, Lieutenant Jade approached General Cracken and me and stated that she had in fact been an agent for the Emperor himself. The Emperor's Hand, if you will."

Leia felt her jaw gape open, then glanced to the others in the room. Judging by their reactions, they had also never heard that term. She began to get a very bad feeling…

General Madine paused for the reaction, then continued. "Lieutenant Jade was taken from her home at a young age and trained by the Emperor himself. She was taught to use the Force and became his personal assassin. After the destruction of Alderaan, Lieutenant Jade was sent to eliminate defectors in the Imperial navy. Instead, she was caught up in the defection.

"General Cracken and I took her report, having to decide what to do about her situation. We believed her to be genuine in her defection and Commander Skywalker confirmed our assumption numerous times. I knew that having someone of Lieutenant Jade's skills would be a boost to our cause. She knows intricacies about the Imperial Court and, most importantly, she knows how Palpatine thinks."

General Rieekan sighed. "And she's been captured by the Empire, now that she knows all of _our _secrets."

Chief Mothma turned to General Cracken. "You believe to know where they'll be taking her?"

He paused for a moment. "We believe she will be returned to Coruscant."

The murmurs around the table grew even louder. Chief Mothma had to shout to quiet everyone down. "Generals," she said through clenched teeth, "you are telling us that one of our top Intelligence agents was a so-called Emperor's Hand and is now on her way back to the Imperial Palace?"

General Madine grimaced but did not back down from her accusations. "Yes, ma'am. As you can imagine, we wish to begin a search and rescue mission immediately, before she can be transported back to Coruscant. We need to determine her precise location and send in an extraction team. She is too important to stay in Imperial hands."

"I agree and concur with your request. But I will need to see both of you privately after this meeting."

The two generals shared a nervous but resigned glance. "Yes, ma'am."

At first, Leia felt sorry for them…but she was so incredibly angry that it only lasted a moment. She'd been right. She had _known_ that there was more to Mara's story than Luke was telling her, but she'd backed down. She'd accepted the explanation that Mara had been a special agent, even though she always felt that there was more to Mara than met the eye. And Luke had been so quick to forgive her for keeping secrets…of _course_ something bigger had been going on! She felt like a fool for not listening to her instincts—for not listening to that blasted Force.

How could Luke have lied to her? She considered Luke one of her best friends, somebody who would never hurt her. Someone who would never mislead her. Luke was protective of her, just like Han, but he'd always understood Leia's place in the Alliance.

And yet he had lied. He'd been lying for the past year and a half and Leia felt like she didn't know him anymore. She'd just gained a brother…but had she lost a friend? She felt so betrayed…

What else had Luke been keeping from her? She suddenly knew that he hadn't been entirely truthful the previous day on the _Redemption_. She could recognize it clearly now—the sense that he was hiding something.

Councilor Fey'lya began speaking, capturing her attention. "Chief Mothma, forgive me for being so bold, but are we truly certain of Mara Jade's trustworthiness? She could have been spying for the Emperor her entire time in the Alliance. Is it wise to risk the lives of Alliance soldiers to extract an agent who may or may not still be working for the Empire?"

General Madine's eyes narrowed. "Councilor Fey'lya, I appreciate your concern for my soldiers, but there is no evidence to suggest that Lieutenant Jade's defection was not genuine."

"And why is that? Because her boyfriend says so?"

Even as angry as Leia was with her brother, her head snapped up at Fey'lya's accusation and she had to physically restrain herself from jumping over the table and throttling the Bothan. She was pretty sure that, had Han been present in the meeting, he would have done exactly that.

"Are you insinuating any wrongdoing on Commander Skywalker's part, Councilor?" General Bryl, the leader of Starfighter Command, asked. The Sullustan was very protective of all his pilots, Luke especially.

Fey'lya held out his hand in a placating gesture. "Not at all, general. He could have been misled, especially because the only evidence of Lieutenant Jade's defection is Commander Skywalker's special Force powers. And if I recall correctly, he was once deceived by one of his own pilots."

The generals began squabbling with Fey'lya again, remaining steadfast that Mara had not deceived them and that her rescue from the Empire was imperative.

And Leia couldn't take anymore. She was sick of being lied to. She was sick of not knowing the entire truth. She was sick of these feelings and instincts and having no idea what they meant.

Standing up abruptly, she mumbled something about needing to be excused and rushed out of the room, vaguely aware of the shocked Command members gaping at her retreating form. Once out of the room she stopped, deciding where to go. The logical place would be Luke's quarters…

No, he wasn't there. This…Force, or whatever it was, was telling Leia to go to the _Falcon._

So she did.

It was time to have a nice, long talk with her brother.

.

.

.

.

Han was checking out the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive when Luke finally showed up. He'd been wanting to talk to the kid since they returned from Bespin, but he'd been shuttled right off the medical frigate and Han still wasn't sure if the kid even wanted to talk to anyone right now. He'd been beaten pretty badly…and with Mara gone, Han was almost afraid he was gonna lose it.

Luke knocked softly on the bulkhead. Han whirled around and flashed a brilliant smile. "Hey, kid! I was wondering when you were gonna get back here."

Luke smiled back, looking slightly awkward. "Yeah, they finally let me out." He shuffled back and forth on his feet, then held up his right arm. "Check it out."

Han set down his tools and crossed to Luke, taking the prosthetic hand and examining it as he would any other piece of equipment. "Not bad. Looks good as new!"

"Yeah." Luke flexed his fingers. "Still feels weird. But I guess I'll get used to it eventually."

Han shrugged. "A lot of pilots have cybernetic limbs. It's no big deal."

"Yeah, well, they usually get their wounds while actually piloting," Luke said sardonically, taking a seat on the acceleration couch.

Han took the opportunity to broach the subject of what really happened on Bespin. Luke had refused to talk on the way back to the fleet, even to Leia. "Hey, kid…if you ever wanna talk…"

Luke nodded. "I know. There's just not much to tell. I found Vader, asked where Mara was…he said to join him and he'd give her back. I couldn't do that, so I fought him. I thought I was holding my own…" His right hand clenched into a fist. "Guess I was wrong."

"Hey, he had to do _that _to get the upper hand…uh, no pun intended. That's impressive, kid."

"I guess." But Luke's eyes were downcast and Han knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Don't worry, Luke. We'll get her back."

"I know. But thinking about her…with Vader…" Luke nearly shuddered at the thought and tears came to his eyes.

Han didn't know what to say, but decided that Luke's typical farmboy optimism was the best way to proceed. "Listen, you got the Rogues at your disposal, and I'm sure Intelligence will go out of their way to help, what with Winter involved. Don't worry. We'll get her back!"

"I know—" His eyes widened, stopping in the middle of his sentence. He stood suddenly and glanced around, spooked. "Something's wrong."

Han followed suit. "Huh? What's going on?"

Luke's eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath. "Leia."

"Leia? What are you talking about?"

Sure enough, the sound of footsteps pounding up the landing ramp could soon be heard. Leia flew into the main hold not long after, as angry as Han had ever seen her. She marched up to Luke and stared him straight in the eye. "You liar!"

"Leia, I can explain—"

She didn't give him a chance. "You are a _liar!_ How dare you! How dare you keep something like that from me!"

"Leia, you don't understand! I was just trying to protect you…there was so much going on and I didn't want to burden you any more…"

"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard! You've known about this for over a year and you never thought to tell me? Didn't you think I was trustworthy? How could you?"

Luke looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm talking about Mara! I had to learn the truth about her from a Command meeting. Do you know what that felt like?"

Luke sunk back down into the couch, the color drained from his face. "They told you?"

Leia's jaw clenched. "So it's true? She's the Emperor's Hand?"

"She _was _the Emperor's Hand, yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Before Luke could answer Han stepped in between them. "Hey! Could one of you _please _tell me what the hell is going on?" Never before had he seen Leia so angry, which was saying something considering the nature of their relationship. And never before had he seen Luke so nervous…

They ignored him completely. "I'm sorry, Leia," Luke implored. "It wasn't my secret to tell. It was Mara's."

"But how could you keep something like that from me? I know how much she means to you! And she was my friend, too! Do you know what it feels like, to be lied to like that?"

"I didn't lie, Leia! I wanted to tell you the truth. I didn't want to keep secrets, but it was what she wanted and Cracken and Madine said it would be better if people didn't know—"

"Hey!" Han yelled, cutting Luke off in mid-sentence. Both Luke and Leia jumped in surprise, as if they'd forgotten he was also in the room. "What the hell is an Emperor's Hand?"

Leia turned to Luke, gesturing for him to do the honors. "You know more than I do," she said rather venomously.

Luke's eyes flashed, but he didn't retort. "She was an agent for the Emperor."

Han rolled his eyes. Why were the two of them being so incredibly difficult? "Well yeah, everyone knows that. Why's Leia so mad?"

"No, Han. Not an agent for the Empire—for the Emperor himself. He took her from her home when she was a child and trained her to be his Hand. She could hear his call from anywhere in the galaxy and served as his personal assassin, delivering justice throughout the Empire."

"Hear his call? How is that possible?"

Leia gave Han a patient look. "Mara can use the Force."

"She can…huh?"

"She can use the Force, Han," Luke explained. "She's very strong. It was the first thing I noticed about her."

"Well, well, well," Han said, probably a little too enthusiastically but he wanted to lighten the mood. "That explains _a lot_, kid."

"Yeah," Leia said, "and she decided to lie to us about the truth, and even got Luke in on it."

Never before had Han seen Luke so upset with Leia. "Look, I told you why we kept it a secret. I don't know what else I can say to explain it."

"You don't get it, Luke. I'm your _sister_! How can you keep things like that from me?"

"What was I supposed to do? Tell you every secret once I found out the truth about us? For the fifth time, it wasn't my secret to tell! Especially not now!"

"I dunno, Leia—that sounds pretty logical to me…" Han trailed off as Luke's words registered in his mind. He backed up several steps, glancing back and forth between Luke and Leia with a shocked expression on his face. "Hold on one minute—did you say _sister_?"

Once again Leia looked at Han as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Yes, that's what I said." She snorted. "It seems that Luke is just full of secrets."

Luke sprung up from the couch. "Hey, I told you about our relationship at the first possible moment! What else do you want from me?"

"You should've told me the truth about Mara, _especially _after what happened! I went into that meeting looking like a fool! Fey'lya started spouting off all this drivel about Mara never being faithful to the Alliance and I couldn't even defend you honestly!"

"Of course she was faithful, you know that—"

"But I don't! How can I be certain when she's been lying this entire time?"

"Leia, you have to trust me. I _know _that Mara was genuine in her defection. She wanted nothing more than to see the Empire defeated."

"And how exactly do you know that, Luke? Because you kriffed her?"

For a moment, all three of them stood in stunned silence. Luke opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to come up with a response. Han could only imagine that Luke's relationship with Leia was the only thing keeping him from slapping her, because it certainly looked as if that was exactly what he wanted to do at that moment.

But just as quickly his anger dissipated. He glanced at his artificial hand, tears glistening in his eyes. "That's incredibly unfair, Leia. You know how I feel about her."

"Exactly! How do I know she wasn't messing with your head?"

"Because she's not."

"How do you know that?"

"Because of the Force, okay!"

Han finally decided he'd heard enough and that it was time to jump in before things got too explosive. "Um, excuse me!" He waved his hand between the two of them. "Could someone _please _explain to me where you two being brother and sister came from?"

Luke sighed and paced around the hold. "Before I left my training to go to Bespin, my Jedi Master told me that I had a twin sister. We were separated from each other to keep us safe from the Emperor. If Palpatine knew that Anakin Skywalker had any offspring, he would've come looking for us."

"And you think Leia's this twin of yours?"

Luke turned his gaze to Leia. She was looking away. "Yes. She is."

"So…does that mean she can use the Force, too?"

"Yes."

Han suppressed a grimace. "That's…great news. Really."

Leia threw up her hands in frustration. "Just say what you're thinking, Han—that now you have to deal with two crazy wizards around here."

"Hey, that may be true, but you're _my_ crazy wizard."

Both Luke and Leia rolled their eyes. "Really?" Leia said. "You're going with flattery right now?"

Han shrugged. "Sorry, but this is a bit of a shock…" He trailed off, noting the identical expressions of disbelief on their faces. How often had they both done that? "Well, now that I think about it, it kind of makes perfect sense."

"I'm sure it does," Leia snapped, turning to ignore him once again. "So, _Brother_, now the truth about Mara is out, are there any other secrets you want to tell me?"

Luke stared at the bulkhead. "What are you talking about?"

Leia grabbed his arm to pull him back around. She stared up at his blank face. "You said I need to learn to trust the Force. Well, the Force is telling me that something else is going on here. So what is it? What are you lying about now?"

"I…" Luke glanced around the hold, from Han back to Leia, and swallowed hard. "I can't tell you right now."

"So there _is_ something else!"

"Leia—"

"No, Luke. I am sick of being lied to! I am sick of not knowing the truth about my own life! What do you know? What else are you not telling me?"

Han tried to slowly back out of the hold. "Perhaps I should leave for this…"

Leia whipped around and pointed at him. "You stay right there!"

Han lowered himself onto the couch without another word.

It was a long moment before Luke began talking again. "Okay," he said. "But please understand that I was only trying to protect you—"

"Just shut up and tell me."

"Okay." Luke paced for a moment as he put together his words. "You know the story about my—about _our_—father?"

Leia blinked. "Yes. You said he was a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker and that Darth Vader killed him during the Jedi Purge."

"That's right. That's what Obi-Wan told me before I left Tatooine. That's what I believed for two and a half years. Except…it's not the truth at all."

Leia gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that our father isn't dead."

"Wait—are you telling me Anakin Skywalker is alive?" Her voice was almost hopeful.

Luke shook his head sadly. "Not exactly."

"I don't understand."

The twins stood in stalemate for a long moment, Luke unable to continue his words and Leia unwilling to speak until he did so. It was then that Han realized the truth. It all made sense—how Luke had been acting since the return from Bespin; why the Emperor would be so concerned about Anakin Skywalker's offspring; why Vader'd been searching for him for so long; his reticence to tell Leia this secret.

Of course Leia would never put two and two together, so Han took it upon himself to break the silence. "Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, isn't he?"

Luke's eyes met Han's, a mixture of gratefulness that Han had said the words for him and surprise that he had figured it out in the first place. Then Han turned to Leia, who had taken a step back, a blank expression on her face. She let out a laugh. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Luke didn't respond.

"Luke…" She stepped forward, taking Luke by the arm. "Luke, tell him he's being ridiculous."

Her brother still didn't respond, so she yanked his chin around to look her in the eye. "Luke!"

Slowly he nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "He's right. I'm sorry."

Leia's hand dropped as if she'd touched fire. "That's…that's not true," she whispered. "That's impossible!"

"I'm sorry," Luke said again. "It hurt so much when they told me…I couldn't tell you, not at that moment when we were so happy…I didn't want to hurt you…"

"Darth Vader _cannot _be our father!"

"He is, Leia. He was once a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker and he turned to the Dark Side."

"How do you know it's the truth? They could be lying to you again!"

"Vader confirmed it, on Bespin…and I can tell that it's true."

"Oh, right, your precious Force is telling you it's true, isn't it?"

"Leia—"

"Well I don't care what the hell your Force says! There is no way in hell that Darth Vader is my father!"

"He is. I'm so sorry."

Leia rushed forward, hitting him with her fists until her hands turned red. Her face was flushed and she looked incensed. "How could you keep this from me? Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes!" He grabbed her hands, forcing her to stop. "Of course I was! I just didn't know how…"

She smacked him again. "I can't believe you, Luke Skywalker! First you lie about Mara and now this!"

_"I didn't know how to tell you!_ I know how much you hate Vader, how could I possibly burden you like that?" He pulled away from Leia and frantically paced the hold. "Do you know how it felt to find out the truth, only to realize that my own father was torturing my friends in order to get me to join him? And I have no idea where Mara is; for all I know Vader could be torturing _her_right now, or even worse turning her over to the Emperor…"

"Oh, sure." Leia shook her head in disgust. "All you care about is Mara."

The air around the room turned heated. "That is not fair and you know it!"

Han rushed forward to grab Luke, to try to calm him down and keep him from doing something stupid. "Hey, kid—"

Luke whipped around, eyes blazing. "Don't call me _kid_!"

And then Han found himself thrown up against the bulkhead.

The hold grew deathly silent…and then Luke broke down, moaning and sobbing. "Oh Han…oh I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to do that…"

Han straightened up, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry about it ki—I mean, Luke."

"No, Han. I shouldn't have done that…I just…" Luke collapsed onto the couch, no longer able to contain his emotions. Leia turned to Han, a plaintive look on her face…

Then instinct must've kicked in because she rushed to his side, stroking his hair and holding him in her arms. "It's okay, Luke," she whispered. "It'll be okay."

"I left her," he said in between sobs. "Vader said all I had to do was join him and she'd be safe. That's all I had to do. Would that have been so bad? I could've done it to save her…instead I left her to suffer…"

"You did what she would've wanted you to do, Luke," Leia said. "She sacrificed herself to save us. She knows the difference between Light and Dark more than any of us. She would've killed you herself if you'd joined Vader to save her."

"It doesn't matter…I can't stop thinking about what is happening to her. I love her Leia, so damn much, and I left her there…how could I have done that…how could I have done that?"

He started babbling incoherently then, body wracked with sobs. Leia still comforted him, but it was clear that he was inconsolable. He needed to get out of there. Leia, apparently, had the same idea. She glanced to Han and mouthed, "Call Wedge."

Han nodded, thumbing on his comlink and asking Wedge to come get Luke. About five minutes later he and Tycho arrived and the two of them managed to drag Luke off the _Falcon_. With Leia by his side, Han watched them stumble through the hangar and disappear into _Home One_'s corridors.


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

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The _Falcon_ grew quiet as Wedge and Tycho helped Luke out of the freighter. Leia shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Darth Vader was her father. How could she possibly come to terms with that fact? Luke being her brother—oh, that made her happier than she'd been in a long, long time. It made sense. It felt right.

Vader being her father was the epitome of everything wrong with this Force-forsaken galaxy. She hated the Empire, she'd secretly fought against it for as long as she could remember, and yet her father was second-in-command. Her father had turned to the Dark Side and pledged his servitude to the horrible Emperor.

And Luke…Luke was so impossibly good and she couldn't understand how someone like him could come from someone like Vader.

Luke claimed that Vader had been a Jedi once, but she didn't care. Her thoughts reeled, she had no idea what to do or say…and then Han started to laugh.

Leia glared at him. "What?"

Han shook his head, trying to hold in his laughter. "Oh, nothing."

"No, come on, what's so funny?" She couldn't believe that Han would laugh at a time like this. All she wanted was to cry or scream, maybe both, and he was _laughing._

He managed to stop long enough to speak. "It's just that, you know…I was just thinking it's a damn good thing you never reciprocated any of Luke's feelings way back when."

Leia stared blankly at him for a moment…and then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh gods…"

Han burst out laughing again. "Come on, you're not telling me you hadn't thought of that yet?"

"No! Please Han, promise me that you will _never_ bring this up to Luke."

"Sorry sweetheart, but I can guarantee the first thing that went through his mind when he found out was that he'd once had a crush on his twin sister."

Leia grimaced. "Oh, wonderful."

Han ran his fingers through his hair. "It seems like there really was a greater Force keeping you two apart, huh?"

"Han, this is _not _funny."

"On the contrary, I think it's rather hilarious. Remember how jealous I used to get, imagining what sorts of things were going on behind closed doors—"

"Han!" Leia scrubbed her face with her hands and shuddered. "Please. I really don't want to think about that."

"Yeah?" Leia felt Han approach her from behind, his breath tickling her neck. "Maybe I can find a way to distract you…"

Leia sighed, letting him kiss her neck…but just for a moment. She spun around and whacked him hard in the chest. "You're such a scoundrel!"

Han smiled, taking it as a compliment. "And you love me for it."

He said it mirthfully, but his words still gave Leia pause. She'd finally accepted her feelings for Han, and yet they still scared and confused her. As if sensing her trepidation, Han lifted her chin to stare into his eyes. "Leia?"

She met his gaze, unblinking. "I really do." She turned away suddenly, settling down on the acceleration couch. She ran her hands absently over the dejarik table, lost in thought.

Han took the seat next to her. "What's wrong?"

"You mean besides the fact that my twin brother once had a crush on me and that Darth Vader is my father?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

Leia groaned and made to leave the table, unable to deal with her feelings. But Han grasped her arm and forced her to stay seated. "No, you're not leaving. You've got to learn to talk about your feelings, Leia. You're a wonderful woman and I love you more than anything and I can't stand to see you killing yourself like this."

Leia's head snapped up at his words. "You have no idea, Han, so why don't you just shut up?"

"No," Han shook his head, holding her hand tightly. "I can't shut up, not anymore. I can't pretend to know what life has been like for you for the past several years, but I've seen enough to know that you're an empty shell when you could be so much more. You can't let Alderaan keep you from living your life, Leia."

"How would you know!" She gaped at him, furious, incensed that he would accuse her of grieving the wrong way. Nobody else in the galaxy knew what it felt like to have your entire world snatched away by the one person in the universe who was supposed to protect you. "You don't know what it felt like, Han! It was sickening! Nothing I could have done would've changed Tarkin's actions that day but it doesn't matter, not to me! I forced myself to watch while Alderaan was destroyed, I forced myself to keep my eyes open, you know why? Because they deserved it! They were innocent beings, living out their daily lives and they were killed because I just happened to be from the same planet! _I'm _the one who should've died that day! I wanted to die after that happened! But then you and Luke came to rescue me and I knew that I would live to fight another day, and I owed it to everyone on that planet to see the Empire destroyed!"

"Leia, I understand all that—"

"No you don't! Nobody does! Not Winter, not Tycho, not Rieekan, not anyone else from Alderaan—_nobody_ does! I was sick when Alderaan was destroyed, I _felt_ them all die! I thought it was just a physical reaction but now I know differently, that I felt it all through the Force. I was the reason they all died, and I felt it all happen, and how can I ever allow myself to be happy after that?"

"Because you're still alive, Leia!" Han shouted, practically shaking her. She looked at him with startled eyes but he kept speaking, as if trying to wake her up from a deep sleep. "You're alive, the Force kept you alive to fight on! And how do you think your father would feel about you denying yourself any bit of happiness as penance for that day? How do you think any of them would feel? This isn't about me, or us, this is about _you._I want you to be happy. I don't care if it's with me, or Wedge, or Janson, or anyone else—although I hope it's me—the point is that you deserve it, Leia. You deserve to be happy. You've been through enough…it's time to let go."

She stared at him for a long moment, unsure whether she wanted to cry or punch him. In the end, she settled for neither. She glanced down, an odd pit settling in her stomach. "He's not my father."

"What?"

She glanced back up, her gaze harder now. "Bail Organa wasn't my father. Darth Vader is. He gave life to Luke and me and he cut off Luke's hand and he held me in place while my world was destroyed. He tortured me. And he's my _father_."

She did cry now, unable to hold it in. Han cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair and rocking back and forth. She didn't know if he said any words and she didn't care. It was just too much; the pain she'd held inside for two and a half years was just too much and she had to let it out. All of it.

She didn't know when she finally stopped crying, but when she became aware of her surroundings she realized she was in her bunk on the _Falcon_, but still in Han's arms. She wiped her eyes and nose before turning to gaze upon his face. "Thank you," she whispered.

He didn't answer right away, merely pressed his lips against her temple. "You're wrong."

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

He placed his hand underneath her chin. "Bail Organa will always be your father."

Since she'd known him, there'd been many times when Han had said or done the wrong thing and she'd wanted nothing more than to punch him. But that was exactly what she needed to hear.

He held her in his arms for a long time and they came to a silent agreement that the conversation was over. While the pain of Alderaan would never truly go away, Leia felt like she was finally beginning to heal. It would take a long time, but now she had a brother to help her in that process.

And she had Han, too.

Han sighed into her hair, pulling back to look at her. "Listen, Leia. I was a fool before, leaving the way I did, but my intentions were good. But I figure now that I'm in the Alliance, I might as well pay off this bounty on my head. You know, moving on and all that."

Out of everything he'd just said, only one part grabbed her attention. "You're in the Alliance?"

Han grinned at her. "Yeah. You've finally worn me down."

Leia grinned back. "See? I knew all my nagging would get through to you someday."

Han laughed and pulled her against his chest. "You all right with this? Really?"

Leia nodded. "I understand. I'll be pretty busy anyway. I figure Luke is gonna want me to train as a Jedi. At least, after we find Mara and all." Her voice hitched in her throat, thinking about her friend, kidnapped by Vader, and the things she had said to Luke… "Maybe you could stay for awhile?" she asked hopefully. "Just until we find her, I mean. We could really use your help, and your connections. And I think Luke really needs you right now."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Of course I'll help look for her."

"Thank you, Han." She ran her hand over his cheek, letting herself get lost in his eyes, and kissed him slowly and tenderly. For so long she'd been holding things in. It was nice to get them out.

In the middle of their kiss, she started laughing. Han pulled away, an insulted look on his face. "Hey, what's that for?"

"Nothing." She tried to stop her laughter but it was pointless. She was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of the bunk. Only Han's strong arms kept her from falling.

"What's so funny?"

The role reversal made her laugh even harder. She managed to compose herself long enough to tell him, "I was just thinking about poor Luke, and the way he used to look at me all the time…"

Han laughed. "Yeah. When Mara gets back, we can all make fun of him together. She'll have a field day."

Leia smiled, sobering slightly. At any other time she would've laughed at her brother's expense but now it felt wrong, being so happy when her brother was going through hell. Part of her screamed to push Han away—that she didn't deserve this.

Han forced her chin up again, and Leia wondered whether or not he was Force sensitive or just really good at reading her. "Luke would want you to be happy."

"But—"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "No buts. Now come on, let me help you forget about your brother ever having a crush on you."

She started giggling again but then Han kissed her, strong and passionate, and she had no more reason to laugh.

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She woke with a start, old assassin's instincts getting the best of her, readying herself for combat. When nothing came, she allowed herself to relax as she gathered a sense of her whereabouts.

She was in a cell of some sort; that was immediately obvious. Feeling against the wall, she determined it was more of a bulkhead than a solid wall, leading her to believe that she was on a ship. Was she still on the _Chimaera_? No, they'd never allow her to stay on a ship that she knew by name. She must be on another ship then, something with a brig.

But whatever ship she was on, it had to be planetside. She couldn't feel the typical vibrations and noises associated with either the sublight engines or hyperspace travel. That meant she definitely couldn't be on the _Chimaera_ or any other Destroyer. Was she on a smaller ship, then, one that had landed?

She went through her memory, trying to recall the plans to smaller ships. All Imperial ships were designed the same, with the brig located in the center of the ship, preventing an easy escape. Not that most beings could even get out of an Imperial cell, much less escape the ship completely.

But Mara wasn't most beings. She'd been the Emperor's Hand. She'd gotten out of cells just like this as part of her training. All she had to do was gain a sense of time—the soldiers coming in and out, along with the delivery of food, would allow her to do so. She'd regain her strength, pilfer a weapon off one of her guards, and get the hell out of there, using whatever ship she could find to fly away.

And Luke would be able to sense her. He'd come for her, like he had on Cloud City.

Just as she was starting to feel confident that she could escape, the air in the cell grew cold. She drew her arms around her chest to keep from shivering. Her guards must've realized she was awake and started piping in cold air. Of course the Imps would stoop to such barbaric forms of torture.

It was then that she realized exactly where she was. She was in a brig, on a ship that was planetside, in Imperial custody—where else could she be but the infamous _Lusankya _prison, where captives were tortured and programmed?

There was a laugh, as if someone had heard her thought…

Mara righted herself, eyes darting around the room to find the source of the laughter. It sounded too real to be coming from the comm system. That meant someone was in the room with her, but she hadn't sensed anything through the Force…

She _did_ shiver now, understanding the implications. Only one person in the galaxy could hide his presence in the Force from her. Mara swallowed hard, trying hard not to panic, but she couldn't help herself. She began to shake uncontrollably she realized what was about to happen.

Then she froze as another hoarse chuckle from the corner of the cell captured her complete attention.


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: The following chapter contains themes that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised._

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CHAPTER 29

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For a moment she froze, like prey in range of a predator, part of her hoping that if she didn't move, he wouldn't see her hidden in the corner of the room. But his laughter echoed against the walls and, without warning, the lights illuminated, shining down on his wrinkled, sallow face. His hood was removed, which startled her; she had never seen him that way before.

They stared at each other, a twisted smile coming to his face as he took her in after two and a half long years. She was petrified, terrified…

Then eighteen years of hard, ruthless training took hold of her body and she leapt up from the hard cot, rushing for the door though she saw no way to get out. It didn't matter. Instinct took hold and she had to get out of there. Away from him.

He allowed her to get halfway across the small cell before he raised an arm. It was a casual gesture; the result was anything but. She flew violently across the room, slamming into the wall and falling in a heap back onto the cot. The room buzzed around her as she tried to maintain her bearings, unwilling to give him any sort of advantage, but it was a fight she could not win.

He _was _the advantage.

He remained seated, watching her with interest as she righted herself, pressed against the wall and putting as much distance between them as she could. Her breath came in harsh pants, the only sound in the room. Finally, he broke the silence, although upon hearing his voice again Mara wished that he had remained quiet.

"My child. You have returned to me."

Mara shook her head, remembering even now to stay calm, impassive. His own training had taught her that. "You certainly have an odd definition of returned."

"Well," his smile grew larger, and it disgusted her, "I should say, you have been returned to me. Finally, Lord Vader has proven his worth."

It was all Mara could do not to spit at the sound of Vader's name…and then she remembered Luke. Her eyes widened, unable to hide her concern…

The Emperor smiled again. "Do not worry, my child. Lord Vader was not completely thorough. Young Skywalker escaped. I believe that your friends rescued him. A pity they could not do the same for you."

Despite her situation, Mara still breathed a sigh of relief. Luke was safe. And when he could, he would rescue her. He'd rescued her once from the Empire; he would do it again.

"I wouldn't be so quick to show your concern for him, however." As always, the Emperor's voice commanded every bit of her attention and she found herself leaning forward to listen to him. Catching herself, she pushed back against the wall and glanced way from his hypnotic eyes. Nothing he had to say was of any importance to her. Undeterred, the Emperor continued speaking. "After all, it seems that Lord Vader gave him every opportunity to save you, but he chose to escape instead."

"I told him to," she snapped, her rage getting the best of her. "I told him to leave, to save himself."

"Oh, and he did, my child. And now, you are back with me, where you belong."

His insinuation chilled her to the very bone. "I will _not _serve you again. You'd be better off killing me now."

"Oh no, my precious Hand. You should be well aware that you are indispensable to me."

"Indispensable?" She scoffed at the sentiment. "Then why did Lord Vader attempt to kill me on Dantooine?"

He smiled thinly. "Lord Vader was reprimanded for his actions. As you will be."

"I won't—"

The rest of her words fell mute as Palpatine raised a hand. She barely had time to react before electric blue lightning jumped from his hand and crackled over her body. She gasped at the sensation, tensing and collapsing on the bed, the pain seeming to course over every nerve in her body.

Just as quickly it stopped; it was a small rampage, if such a thing was even possible when involving the Emperor. He didn't want her to pass out. He wanted her alert and awake for the rest of his torture.

He remained sitting there, all humor gone from his face. She pushed herself up, remaining defiant; knowing that to cower beneath him would only incite his torment even more. He had trained her to be strong and powerful.

She would fight him with everything she had.

Steepling his fingers, he leaned back in the chair and regarded her closely. "You defied me, Mara."

The sound of her name on his lips caused her to shudder, but she composed herself immediately. "I learned about your lies."

"And your little Jedi taught all this to you, I suppose?"

"You stay away from him—!"

Another burst of blue-white power shot from the Emperor's hands and struck Mara clear in the chest. This was more powerful than the last and she convulsed on the bed in painful fits, her vision blurring for long moments. She forced herself to come to, to fight back against this man who had stolen her life. She would not let him win again.

"Don't worry; we will come back to him soon enough. For now, we will discuss your return to my service."

Righting herself, she crouched on the bed, facing him, face contorted into a defiant sneer. "No. You lied to me, _master._You hid from me the true nature of the Empire. You told me I was your only Hand. You killed my family and forced me to serve you! I will never serve you again!"

"My precious child," he whispered. "Were those lies, or instances of you being unwilling to see the truth?"

She hesitated, for just a moment. "No. I've seen too much."

"My child. You were born to serve me, do you not understand? It is your destiny."

"No!"

"No?" He leaned forward slightly, a gleam in his yellow-tinged eyes. "I suppose that you believe your destiny is with the Alliance…with your little Jedi?"

"Leave him out of this," she growled.

"But you see, I cannot. After all, he is the reason you are here."

"You lie!"

"It is the truth. You see, Lord Vader offered you to him…all young Skywalker had to do to say yes, and you would have been saved. You would not be here in your cell. You would back in your rooms in the Palace, fitting of your stature, and serving me once again. But he chose to abandon you to Lord Vader's clutches. His soul was more precious than yours."

Mara tried hard not to listen to his words, but his voice had always commanded her attention. Even now, she had to listen.

But she didn't have to believe. She _wouldn't_. Luke would never abandon her. "He had no choice," she gave voice to her doubts. "And he will find me and when he does, you will wish you'd never been born."

Now it was Palpatine's turn to laugh at her threats. "Do not worry; Skywalker does not concern me, not anymore. And he had a choice, my child, and he made it. He chose himself over you."

"No…"

"He left you to rot in Lord Vader's clutches!"

_"No!"_

In the blink of an eye Palpatine rose from the chair. She didn't even have time to brace herself before she was flung across the room, striking the far wall even more violently than before. She didn't hit the ground; instead, Palpatine was there, holding her upright, hand clenched tightly around her neck. He forced her to look at him, although she held her eyes shut as long as she could.

"Open your eyes," he hissed, squeezing harder until she could no longer breathe. She should have just let him kill her then, but she had been taught never to back down from a fight.

And she'd be damned if she let Palpatine destroy her without fighting back.

She opened her eyes, just as he commanded, and he ran a finger down her cheek. "You are mine, child."

She shook her head. "I am _nobody's._" And then she struck.

She'd been trained in combat by the most vicious men in the Empire, and she called upon every bit of her teachings as she hit and punched at her former master. In all her time as the Emperor's Hand she had never once touched the Dark Side, and now it called to her, offering its power…it was the only way she could defeat the Emperor, she knew this, but she refused to answer, to give him what he wanted. Instead she fought impassively as she'd always been taught—as he had taught her. Her fist connected with his jaw and drew blood; she kicked with a steel-toed boot and heard a bone crack; she flung her body upon him, pushing him to the floor…

It was over in an instant. Wiping blood from his face, he held Mara in the air as if expending no effort at all. "That was a grave mistake."

He threw her on the bed, this time so hard she did black out. When she came to he wrenched her to her feet and slammed her back against the wall. He held her in place with the Force; his gaze bore into her very soul as he began to speak again. "You are mine, Mara Jade. You have always been mine, and you always will be mine. You had your dalliance, but now you will return to your rightful place by my side. You will serve me, and when it is time you will destroy the boy who once claimed to love you…the boy who abandoned you at the first opportunity."

"No," Mara whimpered, shaking her head against his declarations. "I won't…"

"Where else will you go? The Alliance will not have you back, not when they learn what you truly are. And once Ysanne finishes with you here, in her precious prison, you will not dare try to return to them. I have foreseen it."

Tears sprung to her eyes, both from the physical pain and the darkness invading her very soul. "Stop it!" She knew it would never dissuade him, but there was nothing else she could think of to say.

"Don't you see, child? This is the way it has always been."

"No!"

And then he was there, in her mind, whispering promises and platitudes and demanding her obedience, her servitude. She railed against it, calling upon all her strength, her power, her determination…

But it was too much. It always had been too much. She'd had the strength to defy the Emperor from a distance but now, this close to him, with him invading her mind again…

She could do nothing else but stay completely still as he violated her in the most nightmarish way.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed for it to be over soon. She let herself drift into the place in her mind that belonged to Luke, and only Luke. She felt some comfort in the warmth he provided even at such a vast distance. She buried herself in it, remembering his words of love, knowing that as soon as he could he would be there to save her…

Before she could stop him, Palpatine was in that part of her mind, too.

She screamed, louder than she had ever screamed in her life. He could take her body, her life, she didn't care, but this—this was sacred, this was Luke's, and hers, and she pushed and pushed but he was too strong, he'd always been too strong, he'd always controlled her…

"You see, child? It is your destiny."

She could no longer breathe, she was smothering, and with her last gasp of air she reached out to Luke and whispered, _"I'm sorry…"_


	30. Epilogue

**Well, here we are. The final chapter. I've had this plot development in my head since I first conceived of this story, so I'm pretty excited to post it. I can't believe two-thirds of this project is already completed.**

**I will be posting a short Prologue to Part 3 before Christmas. I'm not saying when - it's a surprise! Regular Monday updating will begin on January 2. **

**Thank you all for reading. I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And I'll be glad to chat with you about any theories you have until Part 3 comes up. **

**I have a commission artwork piece that goes with this chapter, along with a cover for Part 3. FFN takes out the links, but I've tried to get around that. If you can't see them, try going to my home page listed on my profile.  
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**Until then...MTFBWY!**

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EPILOGUE

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Luke's X-wing landed gently in _Home One_'s main hangar bay, settling down next to the six other starships that still flew in Rogue Squadron. Their latest mission to steal cargo from an Imperial convoy had been a success and the techs were already swarming over the commandeered freighter and unloading the bacta and other necessary medical supplies. Luke allowed himself a small smile as he removed his helmet and powered down the ship's systems. But, like most of his smiles of late, it was quickly eradicated as he reminded himself that Mara was not among the pilots returning from the mission with him, nor was she in the hangar eagerly awaiting his return.

He knew this, yet he still felt a sting of disappointment. So many times since returning from Cloud City he'd woken up, hoping that it had all been a dream—a horrible, awful dream. Then his mechanical hand would twitch and he'd feel Leia hesitantly reach out to him through the Force, wanting to comfort him. He'd collapse back into his bunk, visions and fears assaulting his every moment.

The rest of the Rogues gave Luke wide berth as he made his way through the hangar. The _Millennium Falcon_ was docked nearby. The landing ramp was down and Luke walked onto the ship, calling for Han and Chewie.

The Wookiee was the first to return the greeting and pulled Luke into a huge hug. "Hey, Chewie. I'm all right." Chewie shook his head, but Luke patted his arm in reassurance. "Really, I'm fine. Is Han around?"

"Right here, kid." Han appeared at the entrance to the cargo hold. "You just get back?"

"Yeah, just landed. You?"

"Same." Han motioned for Luke to join him on the couch.

"Did you find anything?" Luke knew his voice sounded entirely too eager, but he didn't care.

Han shook his head sadly. "Nothing, Luke. I'm sorry."

Luke's heart sank. "It's been weeks and there's still no sign of her. I know she's alive out there, somewhere."

"Well, we just gotta keep looking. I met with Wedge's contact. Terrik, her name was? Anyway, she's on the look out. And she's put out feelers to other organizations."

Luke sighed, trying to remain optimistic. "Right."

"I talked to Leia on my way back. She couldn't say much over the comm, but she said she's been in touch with Karrde."

Luke's head snapped up. "She has?" He hadn't wanted Leia to get involved in his search for Mara, knowing that it would get her in deep trouble if Alliance Command ever discovered the plot. But apparently she had her own ideas.

Han nodded. "Yeah. I think she feels guilty."

"She has nothing to feel guilty for. I'm the one…" He trailed off, voice hitching in his throat.

"Hey," Han slapped Luke's back, "there was nothing you could've done."

"I could've saved her."

"Yeah, and turn yourself over to Vader in the process. Mara would've killed you herself for doing that."

"I know." Luke sighed again, letting his head fall into his hands. "Where is Leia? I should talk to her."

"She's been in a meeting for awhile. I'm telling you, I wouldn't want to be involved in whatever they're plotting." Seeing Luke's face, Han started waving his hands. "Uh, I'm sure it's not a Rogue Squadron thing."

"Yeah, well, even if it is, I don't think I can stay here any longer, Han. This waiting is driving me crazy. I can't sit in the Alliance while she's out there, suffering…I have to go find her."

"You will, Luke. You will. And you know you've got my help, and the rest of the Rogues." Han slapped his back, but his words weren't as optimistic as they'd once been. When they'd returned to the fleet, Han had immediately gone out with Lando, using his every contact in the fringe to find any trace of Mara, but he'd found nothing. Luke and the Rogues had also searched relentlessly, along with Winter in Intelligence. Mara wasn't in any of the regular detention centers and she hadn't been spotted in the Imperial Palace. Alliance spies in the Imperial fleet had found nothing. It was as if she no longer existed.

But she did, Luke was certain of it, and he would find her. He'd made a vow to save her and he would do so even if he had to tunnel his way inside the Imperial Palace. He'd infiltrated the Death Star and rescued Leia, after all.

And the Emperor didn't scare him.

Leaving Mara to the Emperor's whims…now that terrified him.

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Several hours later Luke arrived back at his quarters, ready for a much-needed sanisteam and a good night's sleep. He still hadn't seen Leia and wondered exactly what Command was planning. Leia usually sought him out immediately after he got back from a mission.

Just as the thought went through his mind there was a soft knock at the door. Luke smiled. "Come in."

Leia stuck her head inside the door. She wasn't smiling. "Luke. Are you busy?"

"Of course not, come in." Luke gave her a quick squeeze before stepping away, immediately noticing her nervous posture. "Is everything all right? Is it Winter?" Leia's surrogate sister had recently snuck onto Coruscant on a reconnaissance mission—a fancy Intelligence phrase for spying. Could something have gone wrong, and that was why the Command meeting lasted so long?

"No—no, Winter's fine," Leia said quickly.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "What's wrong, then? Han said you were in a Command meeting."

Leia gestured to Luke's bunk. "Let's sit down."

"What's going on, Leia? You're starting to scare me," Luke said as he took a seat. He had never seen her so nervous, or so scared, in all the time he'd known her. And she'd had many opportunities to be frightened for her life.

He froze as a sudden realization hit him. "Is it Mara?" He hadn't felt anything through the Force and was certain that she wasn't dead—

Leia wouldn't answer; she merely held out a piece of flimsi that she'd been holding behind her back. "I don't know how else to tell you."

"Tell me what, Leia?" His words were cut off as he glanced down at the flimsi. Printed on it was a still holo, obviously taken from a vid distributed via the HoloNet.

"This just came into Command." Leia's voice shook. "This is why our meeting took so long."

Luke was absolutely silent as he stared at the holo in his hands. Unable to do anything else, he let out a derisive laugh. "This has got to be a joke, Leia." He spoke mainly to fill the silence, but also to try to convince himself of that fact.

But Leia shook her head. "I wouldn't joke about this."

He knew that, of course, but he still couldn't believe it…there was no way what he was looking at could be real. "It's a fake, then. It's gotta be. Tell me it's a fake, Leia!"

He was getting frantic now, and Leia placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Intelligence has already been over it with a fine-toothed comb. We got in contact with Winter on Coruscant…she confirmed it. We even consulted with Karrde's people…"

She trailed off and bit her lip, seeing how her words were hurting Luke. "I wanted you to hear it from me first, before it got around the ship."

He still hadn't taken his eyes off the holo. How could he? He just sat there, completely transfixed, knowing that his world had been shattered forever.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Leia couldn't hold back her tears. "I'm sorry, Luke. I'm so sorry…is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head. "Just leave me alone," he requested without malice.

"Of course." Leia leaned in to kiss his forehead, but resisted hugging him or saying anything else.

There was nothing she could possibly say to make this better, and she knew it.

Once he was alone, he stared at the holo for a long time, unwilling and unable to admit that it was real—that she was standing there, in a ballroom in the Imperial Palace, to the left of the Emperor's Throne. Standing proudly with Palpatine and Vader like she belonged there, just as she had only a few years ago. Her green eyes bored into his soul, sending out her blame and hatred from all the way across the galaxy.

_This is my fault…_

His breathing grew shallow and ragged; his hands clenched into fists; he opened his mouth to scream out in agony…but instead a sudden sob escaped his lips and then he couldn't hold it back any longer. He collapsed onto the floor and wept for the woman he had loved, the woman he had lost.

_I should never have left her…_

Hot tears fell onto the piece of flimsi, covering the words printed carefully for all of the galaxy to see:

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_His Imperial Majesty is pleased to present the newest member of his Court, Lady Mara Jade—_

_The Emperor's Hand._

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_Commissioned artwork by __Iverna__ - please do not repost:_

_PHOTOBUCKET DOT com/albums/v109/JediMara77/Fanfiction%20Images/JediMara77commission DOT jpg_

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**End of Part 2 –**_** Night Must Fall**_

_**The Jaded Trilogy **_**will conclude in Part 3 – **_**The Way of the Force**_

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**Coming in January:**

_**THE WAY OF THE FORCE**_

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_**Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. So, you might say that we are encouraged to love. - Anakin Skywalker**_

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**(Cover: PHOTOBUCKET DOT com/albums/v109/JediMara77/Fanfiction%20Images/JediMara77-3-v3 DOT jpg)**

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	31. wotf

**Hello everyone.**

**Just a note to say that I have posted the Prologue to Part 3 of the Jaded Trilogy - _The Way of the Force_. Happy reading and Happy Holidays!**

**- Nanci**


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